In short
- Don't eat or drink from an ordinary print. Residue stays in the grooves between layers and you can't clean it out.
- For dry food and brief contact: PLA or PETG with a declaration of compliance and a stainless steel nozzle.
- Wet and greasy food needs an approved coating. Hot food and the dishwasher are out for every common filament.
- The simplest option is to print a pattern, cast a food-grade silicone mould from it and make chocolates or ice in that.
Cookie cutters, bowls and mugs are some of the first things people want to print. A 3D print, though, is built quite differently from a dish you buy in a shop. Here's what to watch out for.
Why a print can't be cleaned properly
A print is made of layers a fraction of a millimetre thick, with a small groove between each of them. A sponge cleans the surface but can't reach into the grooves.
The grooves are as wide as a layer, usually 0.1–0.3 mm. A sponge cleans the ridges but can't reach inside.
There are three more things few people think about:
- A standard nozzle is made of brass, which may contain a small amount of lead. For food, people print with a stainless steel nozzle.
- Colour, gloss and a matte finish come from additives in the filament. Not every maker has them approved for food.
- PLA softens from about 55 °C, so it loses its shape in a dishwasher or with hot tea.
Which filament for food
The type of plastic alone tells you little. What matters is whether the filament maker has issued a declaration of compliance for food contact for that batch. Without one, even PLA is an unknown. Here's how the materials in our catalogue compare:
- PETGit dependsA relative of PET bottles and the most common choice when the filament has a declaration of compliance. Handles about 70 °C – not boiling water.
- PLAit dependsOnly filament with a food-contact declaration of compliance. Softens at about 55 °C – no hot drinks and no dishwasher.
- PLA Matteit dependsMatting additives and a rough surface are harder to clean – dry foods at most.
- ABSnoContains styrene – not for food.
- ASAnoContains styrene – not for food.
- PA6-CFnoCarbon fibres in the plastic – not for food.
- PETG-CFnoCarbon fibres in the plastic – not for food.
- TPU 95AnoFlexible filaments rarely have a food-contact declaration of compliance.
“It depends” means a print made from filament with a food-contact declaration of compliance, printed with a stainless steel nozzle and covered with a smooth approved coating. The ratings are for printing at home. Our prints are not intended for contact with food.
For the kitchen, people usually choose PETG or PLA with a declaration. Food containers are normally made of polypropylene (PP), but it prints badly and we don't offer it.
Dry, wet and hot food
For dry food and brief contact, such as a cookie cutter, filament with a declaration, a steel nozzle and washing by hand in lukewarm water are enough. It's worth replacing the cutter now and then.
Wet, greasy and acidic food needs a smooth coating approved for food, such as a suitable resin that covers the grooves.
Hot food and the dishwasher are out for every common filament. The plastic softens and the coating cracks.
What the rules say
In the EU, materials that come into contact with food are covered by Regulations 1935/2004 and 10/2011. Compliance is confirmed for the finished article, not just the plastic. That's why a print made at home has no approval, even if the filament did.
What you can safely print for the kitchen
Ideally, things that never touch food:
- a pattern for casting a food-grade silicone mould for chocolates, ice or jellies,
- organisers and stands for spices, tea or capsules in their packaging,
- sleeves for ordinary jars and containers.
Our prints are not intended for contact with food. You can get a quote straight away for a pattern for a silicone mould or an organiser. There's more about product safety.