Canadian webstore releases fully food safe PLA for 3D printing

Well-known Canadian AM materials webstore Filaments.ca, recently released a filament that’s fully food-safe, extending the range of 3D-printing abilities in the kitchen.

Sourced from bioplastic manufacturer NatureWorks LLC, the True Food Safe PLA is created using raw materials and colour pigments that follow the pharmaceutical industry manufacturing standard GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice).

“What we’ve done is revamped the whole process,” said Filament.ca co-founder Ron Rivkind. “Each component on its own is food safe, and then the production line follows GMP standards and protocols.”

To double-check the feasibility of the filament, each batch is given a tracking serial number and spools are individually tested before being vacuum sealed in food contact safe bags for protection.

As a plant-based polymer, True Food Safe is made from renewable resources and byproducts like cornstarch and cassava roots, making it recyclable and non-toxic while producing a low-odor when melted for 3D printing.

While the filament itself is food safe, the company does state that “while we can guarantee the material leaving our warehouse is completely food safe, there are other risks that are beyond our control; such as the cleanliness of the 3D printer being used, the composition of the printer components such as brass nozzles and the fact that the spacing between layer lines can potentially harbor contaminants if not thoroughly cleaned/sanitized.”

Filaments.ca decided to create the True FS product as a result of consistent customer requests, asking if certain filaments were food safe. They capitalized on an emerging trend and now offer the product in 18 different colours.

“There are whole Etsy businesses built around this sort of thing, and we had customer after customer asking us if this or that filament was food safe,” says Rivkind. “Because of our large customer base, we were able to see this trend and capitalize on it.”

Rivkind points to holiday-specific cookie cutters as a prime example of what users could make with the True FS PLA (Pumpkin shaped shortbread anyone?) but it can also be used to make custom cups, cutlery, cake toppers, and other custom culinary equipment.

The True Food Safe PLA works with any system that accepts 1.75 mm and/or 2.85 mm diameter and comes with a temperature recommendation of 190°C – 230°C. A 750-gram roll will cost $44.95 and in the next few months, the company is looking to add a PETG variant to their product lineup.

Check out the True Food Safe PLA, here.