Owly055
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- Feb 28, 2014
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I've been using acrylic ice tea containers for fermenters, and some time back after one broke, I bought two more..... larger fermenters from the same source Walmart ice tea dispensers.
Note that I assumed that these were also acrylic, which is the most stable and food safe of all plastics. It unfortunately appears that they are not acrylic at all, but probably polycarbonate. They will be going to the garbage and I will return to the ones I know are acrylic.
Polycarbonate, or Lexan is it is popularly known is NOT a food safe plastic, and is easily mistaken for acrylic. It's crystal clear, and quite rugged, but it is subject to corrosion. I am seeing pitting / surface erosion on these two fermenters and in the interest of health and safety, they are going into the garbage.
Don't make the mistake I did.... make sure you know what you are using. I didn't realize this was a different plastic until I started observing surface erosion. BPA is one of the components and has been identified as a "not good" product. This applies to polycarbonate / lexan, NOT to acrylic which remains at the very top of plastics as far as food safety.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3983148/
http://www.foodsafetywatch.org/factsheets/bisphenol-a/
Note that the round ice tea dispensers are acrylic, and were clearly marked acrylic. These are the 3.5 gallon ones with corners. I've recommended the round ones in the past as great fermenters.... which they are, and will continue using them.
H.W.
Note that I assumed that these were also acrylic, which is the most stable and food safe of all plastics. It unfortunately appears that they are not acrylic at all, but probably polycarbonate. They will be going to the garbage and I will return to the ones I know are acrylic.
Polycarbonate, or Lexan is it is popularly known is NOT a food safe plastic, and is easily mistaken for acrylic. It's crystal clear, and quite rugged, but it is subject to corrosion. I am seeing pitting / surface erosion on these two fermenters and in the interest of health and safety, they are going into the garbage.
Don't make the mistake I did.... make sure you know what you are using. I didn't realize this was a different plastic until I started observing surface erosion. BPA is one of the components and has been identified as a "not good" product. This applies to polycarbonate / lexan, NOT to acrylic which remains at the very top of plastics as far as food safety.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3983148/
http://www.foodsafetywatch.org/factsheets/bisphenol-a/
Note that the round ice tea dispensers are acrylic, and were clearly marked acrylic. These are the 3.5 gallon ones with corners. I've recommended the round ones in the past as great fermenters.... which they are, and will continue using them.
H.W.
