Food grade stainless steel

Food

Food stainless steel - is a special material that is resistant to temperature changes, resistant to oxidation, safe when interacting with drinking water and food products, does not dissolve, does not decompose and, therefore, does not release dangerous, harmful, toxic elements into food, water. This steel is strong, durable and resistant to mechanical damage. Such properties of this group of stainless steels make them practical in regular care: cleaning and washing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Food Grade Stainless Steel

Food grade stainless steel - is a material resistant to oxidation, it is safe when interacting with drinking water and food, does not dissolve and does not release toxic elements into food. This also makes it practical in regular maintenance (easy to clean and wash).

When preparing, storing and transporting food products, special requirements must be observed - people's lives and health depend on them. Of particular importance are the temperature conditions, the processing and technology used, containers and packaging. Food stainless steel, biologically and toxically safe, resistant to corrosion - is ideal for the production of various equipment and containers.
When buying a specific product or any material, we should always know how safe they are and whether they meet the requirements of various standards. Quite often, in the standards for the brand manner of such stainless alloys, "food grade stainless steel" is not separately identified, and these products simply belong to the general-purpose type. There are many examples of this approach. Thus, the American standard ASTM A240 / A240M (ASTM is the American Society for Testing and Materials) stipulates the requirements for chromium-nickel corrosion-resistant steels for the manufacture of pressure vessels and for general purposes, including the food industry.
But there are a number of international standards that apply to final products. Such standards determine the chemical composition and other parameters of final products for a specific application. As an example, we can consider the standard EN 10357 (DIN 11850) "Corrosion-resistant steel pipes for the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries". It allows the use of only the following grades for these purposes: X5CrNi18-10 (analogs: AISI 304, EN 1.4301), X2CrNi18-9 (analogs: X2CrNi19-11, AISI 304L, EN 1.4306, EN 1.4307) X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (analogs: AISI 316L, EN 1.4435).

Equipment and elements of various designs in the food industry constantly interact with an aggressive environment during production: they are washed with solutions of sulfamic acid, caustic soda, and also encounter acetic acid and fermentation products. All this requires that the material for cooking should be resistant to corrosion, not enter into chemical processes with food products and semi-finished products during processing, production, packaging and transportation. Such properties are inherent not in all stainless steel grades, but only in special alloys with a special alloying system. Items made of food stainless steel have a very attractive appearance and meet the requirements of hygiene and sanitation. Such items do not pose a toxicological hazard.

According to many consumers, there is stainless food grade and technical (non-food grade) steel. The difference lies in their different chemical composition and different technological and operational properties. Ordinary consumers believe that food grade is better, lighter and easier to grind or even polish to a mirror shine, while technical grade has a more matte surface and is much more difficult to process. But in fact, the boundary between these two varieties is very vague or does not exist at all, since stainless steel in the food sector is used to produce far more than just pots and cutlery.
Pipelines and tanks operating in aggressive environments or under the influence of high temperatures, pressure boilers, cutting tools and much more - each type of product places its own set of requirements on the source material.
Due to the content of chromium in the metal, and its mass fraction in some grades can reach as much as 27%, stainless food steel has high resistance to corrosion. Chromium ensures the formation of a protective oxide film on the metal surface, resistant to external chemical influences and rust.
And to increase the corrosion resistance of steel and its immunity to the effects of acids, salts and alkalis, nickel, copper, titanium, molybdenum and other alloying elements are introduced into its composition.

The choice of stainless steel grade for the food industry depends on the conditions of future operation and the duration of contact with finished food products and their ingredients. If the equipment is in constant interaction with water, alcohol, yeast, then it is necessary to select grades that are maximally resistant to corrosion. All steel grades for the food industry are alloyed.
The chemical composition of food stainless steel varies. This, in turn, affects its physical and mechanical properties. As written above, the main alloying component is chromium, which significantly increases the anti-corrosion properties of steel. Nickel also imparts corrosion resistance and increases strength. Titanium provides the alloy with stability when exposed to aggressive environments and resistance to intercrystalline and pitting corrosion.
According to their structure, corrosion-resistant steels are divided into:
- ferritic;
- austenitic;
- martensitic;
- duplex (austenitic-ferritic), etc.
And the more complex the metal’s composition, the more unique its performance properties.

Food grade stainless steel is valued for its many qualities. In addition to its anti-corrosion properties, one of the most significant is its resistance to bacterial and fungal waste products, which is important for the production and storage of any food products. Utensils and accessories made from it occupy a worthy place in every housewife's kitchen.
Modern, convenient and stylish pots with a thick bottom can keep heat for a long time. When used for cooking, food products retain many useful microelements. Cookware from this high-quality material is also produced for induction cookers.
Cutlery - elegant, with a good design made of stainless steel serve as a table decoration. For professional sets, austenitic stainless steel is used, containing 18-20% chromium and 8-10% nickel. Such material is completely safe and is not attracted by a magnet and is not subject to corrosion.
Martensitic stainless steel containing about 12 - 14% chromium grade AISI 420 is widely used in the production of knives (including kitchen knives). However, it does not resist corrosion very well under long-term exposure to aggressive environments.
Ferritic grade AISI 430 steel contains 16-18% chromium. It is used for cheap cutlery, although it is considered technical, like grade AISI 420.
Stainless steel is used to make durable, comfortable and reliable furniture. The most commonly used grade of stainless steel for the food industry is AISI 304. The service life of racks, tables, sinks, shelves, counters and other structures made from it is 10 years or more. Other, cheaper grades can be used, but such equipment will be less resistant to corrosion.
Kitchen equipment made of stainless steel is in great demand. Stands for combi steamers, stoves, hot tables and much more are made from such food grades.

The answer is clear - huge. In the industrial processing of meat and fish, grains and legumes, fruits and vegetables, a colossal amount of equipment is used in terms of purpose and design. And from corrosion-resistant grades of food stainless steel are produced:
- pipelines for transportation and distillation of liquids;
- coils and heat exchangers;
- filter presses and presses;
- barrels, flasks, fermentation tanks and storage tanks for milk, fermented milk products and molasses;
- steel conveyor belts and transporters;
- filter centrifuge spindles;
- oil producers and fat burners;
- vacuum crystallizers;
- dosing devices;
- separators;
- packaging and drying machines; crushers and mixers;
- dough mixing machines;
- mince mixers;
- hinged cabinets and other equipment for meat processing plants, wineries, confectionery factories, etc.

Each alloy used in the food industry must have a certificate of conformity, a quality certificate and a sanitary and hygienic conclusion. All types, grades, and categories of stainless steel, regardless of their chemical composition and processing, must meet the requirements of the food industry and, when used correctly, must not cause harm to human health and life.
Food grade stainless steel - is one of the most environmentally friendly materials. It can be used together with many other materials, such as cast iron, wood, ceramics, glass, plastic. The main thing is to choose the right grade of stainless steel.

The corrosion resistance of food grade stainless steel, like any stainless steel, is ensured by the high concentration of chromium. It is chromium that promotes the formation of an oxide protective film on the surface of the metal. The composition of food grade stainless steel must contain such chemical elements as, for example, nickel, titanium, cobalt, molybdenum. Adding such elements to the steel turns ordinary stainless steel into food grade. This combined material exhibits extremely high resistance to aggressive environments and the effects of salt solutions.

It should be noted that quickly distinguishing food grade stainless steel from non-food grade using a magnet is a mistake. There are grades of food grade stainless steel that are magnetic.

List of food grade stainless steel

List of food grade stainless steel grades. To get detailed information about a specific grade, follow the link from the list.

Stainless Steel Grade AISI 201 | EN 1.4372 | DIN X8CrMnNi18-8

AISI 201 | EN 1.4372 | DIN X8CrMnNi18-8 - stainless steel, belonging to the family of austenitic stainless steels. It is characterized by high strength, plasticity and rigidity. It has very low thermal conductivity. Products made of this grade of stainless steel can be used in a fairly wide range of temperatures. One of the advantages of the grade is its fairly high resistance to corrosion. Such steel can be in moderately
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 202 | EN 1.4373 | DIN X12CrMnNiN18-9-5

AISI 202 | EN 1.4373 | DIN X12CrMnNiN18-9-5 is a widely used grade of stainless steel that is characterized by high hardness, strength and good corrosion resistance. It is quite well processed in annealed condition. For complete transformation and heat treatment, the material must be heated to a temperature of 1038 °C for 30 minutes and then cooled to below 16 °C.
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 204Cu | EN 1.4597 | DIN X8CrMnCuNB17-8-3

AISI 204Cu | EN 1.4597 | DIN X8CrMnCuNB17-8-3 - is a special type of stainless steel that is a chromium-magnesium austenitic stainless steel. Due to the addition of copper, the steel has better formability than AISI 201 and AISI 304 stainless steels. Copper improves corrosion resistance and increases resistance to stress corrosion cracking in certain environments. EN 1.4597 is somewhere between the prices of 200 and 300
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 301 / AISI 302 | EN 1.4310 | DIN X10CrNi18-8

AISI 301 / AISI 302 | EN 1.4310 | DIN X10CrNi18-8 | 07Х16Н6 - is an austenitic stainless steel with good corrosion resistance and weldability. It has high strength and ductility. It is very widely used in the production of springs as it is a high-strength stainless steel.
Due to its moderate carbon content, this grade of stainless steel is prone to
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 301L

AISI 301L is an improved version of AISI 301. The combination of strength and ductility allows this steel to withstand serious forming methods. Corrosion resistance comparable to AISI 302.
Stainless Steel Grade AISI 301LN | EN 1.4318 | DIN X2CrNiN18-7

AISI 301LN | EN 1.4318 | DIN X2CrNiN18-7 - is an austenitic stainless steel similar to austenitic stainless steel grade AISI 301L with a high degree of hardness.
Stainless Steel Grade AISI 304 | EN 1.4301 | DIN X5CrNi18-10

AISI 304 | EN 1.4301 | DIN X5CrNi18-10 - This is a chromium-nickel austenitic steel. The presence of nickel in it in the amount of 8 - 10% leads to the fact that the austenitic phase is preserved at temperatures from low to 1050 ° C. The main advantage of this class of steel is its high service characteristics. It exhibits strength, plasticity, corrosion resistance in most working environments and has good processability.
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 304Cu | EN 1.4567 | DIN X3CrNiCu18-9-4

AISI 304Cu / EN 1.4567 / DIN X3CrNiCu18-9-4 is an austenitic stainless steel which is an austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steel with copper content. Except for the additional copper content, it generally has the same properties as AISI 304 stainless steel.
Stainless Steel Grade AISI 304LN | EN 1.4311 | DIN X2CrNiN18-10

Stainless steel grade AISI 304LN / EN 1.4311 / DIN X2CrNiN18-10 is an austenitic stainless steel with the addition of nitrogen. In fact, it is a reinforced version of the AISI 304
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 305 | EN 1.4303 | DIN X4CrNi18-12

Stainless steel AISI 305 | EN 1.4303 | DIN X4CrNi18-12 is a chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steel with a low degree of strain hardening due to the increased nickel content. This alloy is well suited for multi-stage deep drawing without process annealing. The metal of this stainless steel is non-magnetic under annealing and cold working conditions and has corrosion resistance similar to stainless steel AISI 304, AISI
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 308L | EN 1.4316 | DIN X1CrNi19-9

AISI 308L | EN 1.4316 | DIN X1CrNi19-9 is a grade of stainless steel that is an austenitic stainless steel intended for welding (welding wire) and for primary molding into forged products. Among forged austenitic stainless steels, it has moderately low tensile strength and moderately low ductility.
Stainless Steel Grade AISI 309 | EN 1.4828 | DIN X15CrNiSi20-12

AISI 309 | EN 1.4828 | DIN X15CrNiSi20-12 - is an austenitic high-alloy stainless steel with a large amount of chromium. It has very high corrosion resistance and strength than other similar steels. In fact, it is a standard stainless steel that is used to make furnace parts and other high-temperature parts and components.
Stainless Steel Grade AISI 309S | EN 1.4833 | DIN X12CrNi23-13

AISI 309S | EN 1.4833 | DIN X12CrNi23-13 is an austenitic stainless steel that provides excellent corrosion resistance and heat resistance, as well as good strength at room temperature and at elevated levels. The grade is almost identical to the AISI 309 grade, except for the carbon content.
Stainless Steel Grade AISI 310S | EN 1.4845 | DIN X8CrNi25-21

AISI 310S | EN 1.4845 | DIN X8CrNi25-21 | 20Х23Н18 - is a stainless steel that has high mechanical strength and impact toughness. It has excellent resistance to high-temperature oxidation due to the high content of chromium and nickel. And due to the low level of carbon, the release of carbides during welding or at high temperatures is reduced.
Stainless Steel Grade AISI 314 | EN 1.4841 | DIN X15CrNiSi25-20

AISI 314 | EN 1.4841 | DIN X15CrNiSi25-20 - is an austenitic stainless steel that has excellent heat resistance characteristics (heat-resistant stainless steel) among chromium-nickel steels. The silicon content in it improves oxidation and carburization resistance.

Stainless Steel Grade AISI 316 | EN 1.4401 | DIN X5CrNiMo17-12-2

AISI 316 | EN 1.4401 | DIN X5CrNiMo17-12-2 is an acid-resistant austenitic stainless steel that is suitable for use in aggressive environments: phosphoric, nitric, citric, lactic, formic, acetic acids, in the presence of alkalis - hydroxides and salts - nitrates, chlorides, fluorides, acetates and sulfates. This brand also shows excellent resistance to the marine environment and salts.
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 316L | EN 1.4435 | DIN X2CrNiMo18-14-3

AISI 316L | EN 1.4435 | DIN X2CrNiMo18-14-3 is a modified austenitic stainless steel with extremely low silicon content and much higher molybdenum content. Low carbon content combined with good chemical balance (low silicon and nickel content of about 14%) makes the alloy fully austenitic without precipitation of intermetallic phases.

Stainless Steel Grade AISI 317L | EN 1.4438 | DIN X2CrNiMo-18-16-4

AISI 317L / EN 1.4438 / DIN X2CrNiMo-18-16-4 is a low-carbon austenitic stainless steel. The combination of chromium, nickel and molybdenum increases corrosion resistance, improves resistance to sulfuric, acetic, formic acids, chemical resistance to citric and tartaric acids.

Stainless Steel Grade AISI 321 | EN 1.4541 | DIN X6CrNiTi18-10

AISI 321 | EN 1.4541 | DIN X6CrNiTi18-10 - is an austenitic stainless steel which is able to provide excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion. It has good creep resistance. It is used mainly in parts and structures involving continuous and intermittent working temperatures in the carbide precipitation range of 427 - 816 ℃. EN 1.4541 has the same corrosion properties as EN 1.4301 / AISI 304, except for improved
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Stainless Steel Grade AISI 347 | EN 1.4550 | DIN X6CrNiNb18-10

AISI 347 | EN 1.4550 | DIN X6CrNiNb18-10 is an austenitic stainless steel, which is a stabilized version of AISI 304 with the addition of niobium (columbium). Niobium is a stabilizing element. Thanks to it, the main highlight of this brand is maximized: resistance to intercrystalline corrosion.