food safe materials ?

[stefano panusa]

Is there a thread on food safe laserables and where to buy ? ie. acrylics, uhh.. anything else ? :) (other than properly prep'd wood)

My wife mentioned wanting some stencils for cakes, and that led to a conversation on other food related items.

I did try searching, but didn't see anything obvious.

[Robert Walters]

Be careful about plastics.
MANY are coming in from china with high lead content. Even fabric these days.

Buy from a known reputable source, ask for MSDS.
Ask for GCC's (General Certificate of Conformance) may go by other names, usually on a per LOT basis.

State of California has VERY specific laws regarding materials used in children items due to the fact that many flea market/swap meet items were found with very high levels of lead. The law has been around a few years, so many suppliers should already be familiar with it and must provide certificate of compliance upon request if they sell/ship to California.

You might also search for "food grade" or "medical grade" plastic.

[Dan Hintz]

Stefano,

If properly cleaned after cutting, there's nothing wrong with most plastics being used on/around food. No lead to speak of in the plastic itself...

[Robert Walters]

From the CDC...

Plastic: The use of lead in plastics has not been banned. It softens the plastic and makes it more flexible so that it can go back to its original shape. It may also be used in plastic toys to stabilize molecules from heat. When the plastic is exposed to substances such as sunlight, air, and detergents the chemical bond between the lead and plastics breaks down and forms a dust.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/toys.htm

[stefano panusa]

Dan, I'm trying to err on the side of ultra-caution, but I do appreciate your comment.

I guess the problem with asking for MSDS or GCC is, will I actually understand them enough to know what I'm getting. I'd prefer to find a reputable source and stick with them.

The quest continues..