6 replies to this topic

[JoaquinBarbero]

Good day All,

 

I hope you have an incredible start of the week.

 

I've been doing some research on the FOOD GRADE VS NON-TOXIC topic. According to some websites, I found that both are "harmless" But Non-toxic has no regulation, so for the Food Industry is still a hazardous substance. Would you happen to have any more information about this?

 

My question is related to an upcoming audit one of our CCPs is using Non-toxic Glycol I would like to change it from CCP to PRP and the answer of the Glycol will decrease the Impact on the risk assessment.

 

P.S: Moving from Non-toxic to a food-grade glycol is already in the plan but it will be a long-term action.

 

 

Kind regards! 

[Charles.C]

Good day All,

 

I hope you have an incredible start of the week.

 

I've been doing some research on the FOOD GRADE VS NON-TOXIC topic. According to some websites, I found that both are "harmless" But Non-toxic has no regulation, so for the Food Industry is still a hazardous substance. Would you happen to have any more information about this?

 

My question is related to an upcoming audit one of our CCPs is using Non-toxic Glycol I would like to change it from CCP to PRP and the answer of the Glycol will decrease the Impact on the risk assessment.

 

P.S: Moving from Non-toxic to a food-grade glycol is already in the plan but it will be a long-term action.

 

 

Kind regards! 

Hi Joaquin,

 

Which glycol are you talking about ?

 

eg -

 

Is ethylene glycol food grade?

 

Ethylene glycol is highly toxic to humans and is not used in food products. Summary Propylene glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless, tasteless liquid that belongs to the same chemical class as alcohol. It should not be confused with the toxic substance ethylene glycol.

 

 

 

Is there a food grade glycol?

What is Food-Grade Propylene Glycol? Propylene Glycol comes from petroleum and is a viscous, colorless, odorless substance with a sweet taste. Food manufacturers use Propylene Glycol for it's ability to keep substances moist, maintain substance texture, and mix with most lubricants, oil, alcohol, water.

 

 

Regarding the interpretation of non-toxic vs food grade, this is a murky/grey area particularly since "non-toxic" has multiple usages and is often ambiguous, eg see this post/thread which initially looked at non-toxic vs food safe -

 

https://www.ifsqn.co...afe/#entry84418

(most of the sub-links, but not quite all, are long gone of course )

 

And one more from many others -

 

https://greenerideal...-vs-toxin-free/

 

PS - Product/Business is unknown but if item is for direct human consumption, yr auditor may be shocked if you are not using a GRAS/Food-Grade Chemical/additive.

[SHQuality]

Glycol is hazardous in case of ingestion. I wouldn't want it anywhere near my foods.

There is no such thing as a food-grade toxic substance.

[Charles.C]

Glycol is hazardous in case of ingestion. I wouldn't want it anywhere near my foods.

There is no such thing as a food-grade toxic substance.

Chocolate to a dog ?

 

I suppose it's a sort of oxymoron like "barely clothed".

 

The point which I am not very elegantly (sorry!) trying to make is that so many of these terminologies tend to lack precise definitions, eg should allergenic foods be classed as toxic ?

Edited by Charles.C, 06 February 2023 - 10:35 PM.
added

[JoaquinBarbero]

Hi Joaquin,

 

Which glycol are you talking about ?

 

eg -

 

 

 

 

Regarding the interpretation of non-toxic vs food grade, this is a murky/grey area particularly since "non-toxic" has multiple usages and is often ambiguous, eg see this post/thread which initially looked at non-toxic vs food safe -

 

https://www.ifsqn.co...afe/#entry84418

(most of the sub-links, but not quite all, are long gone of course )

 

And one more from many others -

 

https://greenerideal...-vs-toxin-free/

 

PS - Product/Business is unknown but if item is for direct human consumption, yr auditor may be shocked if you are not using a GRAS/Food-Grade Chemical/additive.

Hi Charles! Thanks for all your information. Yes I thought the same about presenting this in an Audit. Also, there needs to be some clarity across the business. We use Non-toxic Ethylene glycol reason why this step was assessed as CCP. Long-term action will be either changing the cooling system or moving to a food-grade coolant. Many thanks again! 

Kind regards 

[JoaquinBarbero]

Glycol is hazardous in case of ingestion. I wouldn't want it anywhere near my foods.

There is no such thing as a food-grade toxic substance.

Hiya,

 

I know it's dangerous but some industries still use glycol as a coolant. Now there is some "Non-toxic" Glycol that is in use, which is not the final solution but it's decreasing the risk, some business address this point as CCP reason why I wanted to understand the difference between "food grade" and "non-toxic"

Kind regards

[Charles.C]

Hiya,

 

I know it's dangerous but some industries still use glycol as a coolant. Now there is some "Non-toxic" Glycol that is in use, which is not the final solution but it's decreasing the risk, some business address this point as CCP reason why I wanted to understand the difference between "food grade" and "non-toxic"

Kind regards

Hi Joaquin,

 

OK, there may be a little confusion here. After some more googling I guess you may be (??) referring to this rather amazing compound -

 

Non Toxic

DTX: High Efficiency Non Toxic Glycol Antifreeze is based on Ethylene Glycol. It has been tested and classified as Non Toxic by an EPA certified laboratory. Previously Propylene Glycol was the only non toxic Glycol available, however with the introduction of the patented DeTox^TM additive that is no longer the case. DeTox^TM prevents Ethylene Glycol from being metabolised (during digestion) into toxic by-products, which cause kidney failure, blindness and death. Tests carried out on DTX confirmed the toxicity was “so low that it was impossible to determine and LD50 value”. The DeTox^TM additive has very little effect on heat transfer or antifreeze performance. In fact similar volumes of DTX or Ethylene Glycol are required to achieve a specific freeze protection.

http://www.bdicoolin...ycol-antifreeze

 

There seem to be an extensive family of related products which are variously advertised as, for example, "food safe", non-toxic, and described as - "Used by many large dairy and bakery chains as a more efficient alternative to USP, EP,  BP, & food grade propylene glycol". But nowhere afai can see are these DTX products referred to as "Food Grade".

 

So the question in OP may cross over a number of "territories", eg definitions, interpretations, Regulations, HACCP, hazard analysis.

 

Joaquin, I would like to know your (HACCP/hazard analysis) basis for the DTX product (assuming this is what is in use) currently being associated with a CCP ?

(Just for contrast, detergents are IMEX also commonly classified as "food safe"  and may occasionally come into indirect contact with foods but their use IMEX is never controlled by CCPs. Similarly H1 lubricants which have a "restricted" Food Grade Classification.)