Food-grade certification is the formal sign-off that a plastic has passed the direct-food-contact safety tests required by EU regulation 10/2011 (the European framework) or US FDA 21 CFR (the American equivalent). Certification covers what migrates from the plastic into food, under what conditions, and at what concentrations.
What gets tested
- Migration limits. How much of any compound can leach from the plastic into food, in milligrams per kilogram of food.
- Migration conditions. Tests at multiple temperatures (cold, room, hot, oven) and contact durations (short, medium, long).
- Compound categories. Heavy metals, residual monomers, processing additives, surface contaminants.
What food-grade doesn't cover
- Heat tolerance beyond test conditions. Food-grade PLA is certified at typical kitchen temperatures, not boiling water or oven heat. The certification doesn't extend the material's heat envelope.
- Cleaning chemical resistance. Food-grade is about food contact; commercial cleaners are tested separately.
- Mechanical durability. Certification tests safety, not break resistance.
How Modu Drawer's PLA fits
Modu Drawer modules are made from food-grade PLA certified to both EU 10/2011 and US FDA 21 CFR for direct food contact. Cutlery, utensils, raw spices, dry goods all sit safely on the modules. The single caveat: PLA's heat envelope is roughly 60 °C — wipe-clean only, no dishwasher, no boiling water. Treat the modules like a wooden chopping board, not a stainless tray.
For the FAQ-format breakdown, see are PLA bioplastic drawer organisers food-safe?.