There are many silicone products on the market today that are marketed as 100% silicone. But did you know that many claims of “100% silicone” aren’t necessarily true? Did you know that just because a product is labeled “food grade” doesn’t mean it’s pure silicone?
Because some companies claim their products are FDA approved or labeled as food grade silicone, that doesn't mean it's pure silicone. The FDA publishes standards that must be followed when testing products that come into contact with food.
A key thing to note in these standards is that silicone products are allowed to contain impurities or fillers as long as they remain below "safe" levels.
This means your "food safe" silicone can still have fillers in it.
This is an important distinction to note, as many offshore manufacturers will add fillers or processing additives to make their products cheaper, as long as they can stay within the limits of FDA testing.
So if you are skeptical about a particular silicone product, you can try the silicone pinch test to easily determine whether something is pure silicone.
Here's how to perform a pinch test:
Pinch the item: Pinch the silicone product between your fingers and thumb, applying moderate pressure.
Check for color changes: If the product turns white where you pinch it, it may contain fillers or additives and is not 100% silicone. Pure silicone should retain its original color when squeezed.
Check the stretch: Pure silicone should stretch under pressure and then return to its original shape when released. If it doesn't stretch much or is permanently deformed, it's probably not 100% silicone.
Odor test: Pure silicone usually doesn't have a strong odor, so if you smell a strong chemical smell, it may indicate the presence of additives or fillers.
100% pure food grade silicone is odorless and inert, and if made correctly, there should be no discoloration, deformation, odor, etc.
Keep in mind that while the pinch test can give you some indication, it's not foolproof. If you want to be absolutely sure, you may want to rely on the product label or contact the manufacturer to clarify its ingredients.
