Food-grade IBC totes: what the history means

What food-grade history does and does not mean

It is a statement about the past. The food-grade history of a bottle is what it held before: syrups, juices, oils, a beverage ingredient. The HDPE itself is a polyethylene, and 21 CFR 177.1520 lists olefin polymers like it as usable in articles that touch food. That does not make any used tote food safe. A used bottle is only as clean as its past.

We do not issue a certificate and we do not say a tote is "certified food grade." We say what we know about the last contents and the previous ones, and we say when we do not know.

The CDC rule that settles it

CDC advises storing at least one gallon of water per person per day for three days, a two-week supply if possible, and replacing it every six months. It also says not to store emergency water in containers that held liquid or solid toxic chemicals, such as bleach or pesticides, and that FDA-approved food-grade containers are best.

Where to start

1. Ask for a new tote or a rebottled one. A new bottle has no past, which is the cleanest answer.
2. If you want a used bottle, ask for documented food or beverage last contents, and expect us to ask you what the water is for.
3. Clean and sanitize before first fill, whatever the grade. Steps are in the cleaning guide and the drinking water guide.
4. Put a screened, closed fill cap on it, and keep it out of direct sun. See sun and algae.

Check the valve too. A butterfly valve that does not seal tight, or a valve that shows residue, is a reason to pass on a tote for drinking water.

Paperwork that proves food use

A food claim means little without a record. Useful proof is a label naming a food ingredient, a bill of lading from a beverage or syrup supplier, or a letter from the plant that emptied the tote. Keep a copy with the tote, because an inspector, a customer or an insurer may ask for it years later, long after memory has faded.

Questions a food buyer should ask

Ask whether the bottle was ever used for anything but food. Ask for the label of the last three fills, not only the last. Ask whether any cleaning agent other than water and a food-safe detergent has touched it. Ask who rinsed it and when. Ask whether the gasket and valve are original. Ask about storage since the last use: a bottle that stood open in a yard for a season is not the same as one capped on a shelf. Ask what the seller will put in writing. A seller who answers all of these in a short email is a seller you can work with, and a seller who answers none is a seller to skip.

Paperwork that matters and paperwork that does not

A food buyer cares about three papers: the label of the last contents, a statement of what the bottle has held over its life, and, for a regulated use, a letter from the seller about rinsing. A certificate with a stamp but no history is weaker than a plain email that names every fill. A brand name on the cage tells you who built the frame, not what was inside. A date molded into the bottle tells you when the plastic was made, which sets an upper limit on its age. Photographs of the plate, the cap seal and the interior under a torch round out the file. Keep the file with your own food safety records, since an inspector asks you, not us.

Why we do not label a tote food grade by looking

A bottle can look spotless and still have held something that does not belong near food, and an old, stained bottle can be perfectly clean inside. Appearance is a weak test. Smell, history, label and seller answers are stronger. When the history is thin, we describe the tote as general purpose and suggest it for water, drainage or storage, so nobody learns the difference after the first batch.

Storage after you buy

Keep a food-contact tote capped, off bare ground and out of direct sun. Do not stack other items on it, do not store solvents or fuel nearby, and do not reuse it for anything else. Write its use on the cage so it stays in that job.