Food-grade totes
“Food grade”
is a history,
not a wash.
Any bottle can be cleaned until it looks clean. A food-grade tote is one whose entire documented life has been food-safe — and that is a paperwork problem, which is exactly what we are good at.
Our definition
Four conditions, all four required
If a unit fails any one of these it is sold as a washed technical tote at a lower price. There is no in-between category and no benefit of the doubt.
Food-only documented history
Every recorded fill in the unit’s life was an edible product. One industrial fill, ever, and it is permanently out of this category.
Food-protocol wash
Hot-water and food-safe detergent cycle, or steam, with the chemistry and hold time on the record. No industrial caustic on a food line unit.
Sealed after wash
Valve capped and fill port sealed the moment it comes off the line. It does not sit open in a yard.
Interior inspected and photographed
Lit interior shot in the file. You see the inside of the bottle before you pay for it.
What we will not tell you
We will never describe a used tote as “FDA approved”. The FDA regulates materials and processes, not second-hand containers. What we give you is a documented history and a wash record — which is what a serious auditor actually asks for.
If your QA programme requires a virgin interior, buy rebottled or new. We stock both and we would rather sell you the right thing twice than the wrong thing once.
Common food-grade jobs
- Maple sap collection and transport
- Brewing and distilling — liquor, wort, spent grain slurry
- Edible oil and glycerine handling
- Produce wash water and brine
- Honey and syrup bulk storage (with a jacket in winter)
- Emergency and agricultural potable water
Compare the three food-capable options
Food grade, rebottled, or new
| Option | Interior | Documentation | Relative price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food grade (reused bottle) | Washed HDPE with a food-only history | Food-only history, wash record, interior photo | 1.0× | Most food and potable jobs where history is acceptable evidence |
| Rebottled | Brand-new HDPE bottle, refurbished cage | New-bottle certificate plus cage passport | 1.6× | QA programmes that require a virgin interior at a reused-cage cost |
| New / one-trip | Virgin, factory-sealed | Manufacturer documentation | 2.4–3.0× | Pharma, cosmetic, infant food, or audits that accept nothing else |
Before you fill it
Questions worth asking any seller
What exactly was in it last, and the time before that?
What wash chemistry was used?
Has the bottle been in sunlight?
Is there any residual smell?
Can I get a sample analysed?
Food-grade stock is limited and seasonal.
Maple season and harvest clear our shelves. Tell us your window early and we will reserve against intake.