Food grade buckets..necessary..?

[SteveSC]

Is it necesary to use food grade buckets for honey to "settle" in before you bottle it..?   Some of the buckets ( most of the buckets ) you see on the bee supply sites are not stated to be " food grade " - they are just white buckets.  I'm sure food grade would be the perferred bucket but as long as they are very clean and never used any other way than for honey are they considered necessary...?

Steve

[TwT]

about all 5 gallon plastic buckets are made the same just different colors, I just use white buckets from the hardware store (cleaned very well), never heard of a plastic bucket that wasn't food grade, if its not it for another purpose than being sold in stores...... the only thing I see different from the buckets the suppliers sale is that some have a honey gate..... just my 2 cents

[Scadsobees]

I don't know how necessary food-grade is, but I went to a local bakery and they gave me free buckets and lids from their frosting.  They are only 3 and 4 gallon buckets, but I know they are food grade.

They smelled a bit like frosting for a while and needed a good washing, but they were free and work great.

[SteveSC]

I also thought all bucket were made from basically the same stuff.  If I can find food grade ( bakery and maybe resturants also might used them )  I'll use them.  If can't I'll used any good clean white bucket....  I'll stay away from the orange ones at Home Depot.....:)

Does anyone else have any ideas who would use these food grade buckets...?  Thanks.

[KONASDAD]

Places w/ buckets? Anyplace that sells pickles. Garlic scent hard to get rid of, but they hold full load of liquid. Bakeries too. Many deli's have them for salads they buy bulk. Just a few places i get fre buckets from over the years.
Why cant you use a Home depot orange bucket?

[TwT]

I used the 2 1/2 gallon orange buckets last year from home depot, they have a pouring spout on them , worked fine, but I have all white buckets now for settling because they hold 5 gallons (didnt have my setup right then) because last year didnt need to many buckets, use the orange buckets for the garden picking now......  

[BEE C]

Plastic food grade buckets are made from a less leachable plastic.  Some grades of plastic are made to withstand breakdown from acids (tomato) or other things like paints.  I thought that just to be sure, i would get food grade buckets, but I work at a bee store so it was easy to source.  I use 3 and five gallon buckets so far, with a tap at the bottom with a removable screen.  I like to screen, settle and drain into jars within a few days, to avoid having the honey take on any taste from the plastic.   paranoid maby?

[SteveSC]

Thanks all...good information on the buckets.  I'm sure other found it helpful also..  

Thanks BeeC.... Good information from a good source.  People that work in the business know more than they think..thanks for sharing.

SteveSC

[Jerrymac]

I typed in "food grade buckets" on google search. Got lots of hits. Try it.

[Brian D. Bray]

By USDA regulations if you want to sell it or use it as a food grade container must be used.  Other types of plastic buckets have chemicals that can leach into the honey and contaminate it.  If you've used a non food grade container you now have some expensive garbage.