Food grade is a term you will often come across at Qseals. By it, we mean that materials may come into contact with food, beverages and pharmaceutical products without affecting their quality or safety. Is your company active on the European market? Then you will have to deal with Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, EC 1935/2004 for short. Do you also supply the United States? Then the requirements of the FDA apply as well. We have written a page about that too.
What is EC 1935/2004?
EC 1935/2004 is the European framework regulation for all materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, also known as food contact materials (FCM). The regulation was adopted in 2004 and applies directly in all EU member states. It has one goal: to safeguard food safety in Europe. In the Netherlands, compliance is supervised by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Under Article 3 of the regulation, materials must not, under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, transfer their constituents to food in quantities that:
- endanger human health;
- bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food;
- affect its organoleptic characteristics, such as odour, taste and colour.
A mechanical seal that comes into contact with the product must therefore meet these requirements. The regulation also sets requirements for traceability (Article 17): from raw material to end product, it must be known where a material comes from. Materials are produced in line with good manufacturing practice (GMP, Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006). For plastics such as PTFE and FEP, additional requirements and migration limits from Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 also apply.
American and European regulations
Are you active in the food, dairy, beverage or pharmaceutical industry? Then your installation must comply with EC 1935/2004, and that includes your choice of mechanical seals. Do you export to the United States? Then you also have to deal with the FDA, which sets its own requirements for materials that come into contact with food. If you choose materials that meet both, you can use the same seal in all markets. On our mechanical seals page, you can quickly and easily find the seal you need.
EC 1935/2004 compliant materials at Qseals
A mechanical seal consists of several components: secondary seals such as O-rings, the seal faces and the metal parts. At Qseals, we supply all these components in an EC 1935/2004 compliant version, so you can match the complete seal to your medium and your process.
Elastomers and O-rings
PTFE and FEP-encapsulated O-rings
Seal faces
Metal parts
State in your enquiry that you need an EC 1935/2004 compliant version. We will then make sure the right materials are used in your seal.
Food grade mechanical seals from Qseals
Looking for food grade seals? Take a look at our extensive range. Qseals has a very diverse range and a suitable solution for almost every application, from component seals and cartridge seals to compressor seals. Need something specific? In our factory in Wezep, we make custom seals and parts, using the materials that suit your process and regulations. Our experienced technical specialists are happy to help you choose the right materials.
Want to know which EC 1935/2004 compliant version suits your application? Contact us or request a quote straight away.
