Short answer
Suitability for fatty foods and products containing alcohol should not be considered the same as general water-based food service. The food type, fat/alcohol content, temperature, duration and cleaning cycle must be specified. The scope of the inner tube and of the seal compound are verified separately.
Technical explanation
In food contact, the conditions of use of the material matter; a conformity declaration may not cover all food types and temperatures. Even within the same elastomer family, different compounds can behave differently in cleaning and product contact. Trelleborg's CIP/SIP assessments particularly emphasize this distinction. For this reason, general descriptions such as 'food EPDM' or 'food rubber' should not produce a definitive selection result for a fatty product or an alcoholic beverage. The document and the service condition are read together.
Topic-specific checkpoints
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Food group | Explicit definition of fatty, aqueous, acidic or alcoholic use. |
| Exposure | Ratios, temperature, contact time and repetition. |
| Material | Product/compound code for the inner tube and seal. |
| Cleaning | Chemical and temperature conditions outside production. |
How is it assessed in practice?
Add the actual properties of the product to the request: for example, the alcohol content along with the beverage name, the relevant content in a fatty mixture and the transfer temperature. The cleaning agent should not be mixed into the same row as the production product. If a common hose is to be selected for a product range, show the manufacturer the entire range of use instead of the single product assumed to be the most aggressive. If the response is limited to specific conditions, keep this limitation on the stock card and in the instructions for use.
Original editorial recommendation; not a clause of a standard.
Frequently asked questions
Can a hose suitable for milk also be used for a high-alcohol beverage?
This conclusion cannot be drawn. The contact conditions and conformity scope for both products must be assessed separately.
Source coverage
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S037
CIP and SIP Trelleborg · accessed 2026-10-19 Aggressive chemicals; CIP facts; research results
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S052
Food contact materials legislation European Commission · accessed 2026-10-19 Framework, plastics and good manufacturing practice legislation