Capability
Food and Pharmaceutical Sealing
O-rings and cut gaskets on compounds listed FDA compliant, NSF, USP Class VI, ISO 10993 or 3-A: the requirements, the materials by duty, and what the order must state.
Conquest supplies O-rings and cut gaskets for food, beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical equipment on compounds their makers list as FDA compliant, NSF listed or USP Class VI tested, and cuts the gasket side in house on the waterjet. Compliance belongs to the specific compound, never to a material family or a color, and the correct phrase is "FDA compliant": the FDA does not approve compounds. This page says which requirements exist, which materials are offered against them, and what an order must state.
Requirements we supply against
| Requirement | What it covers | Documented by | Materials typically offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 | Repeated-use rubber articles in food contact: ingredient allow-list plus extraction limits | Compound maker's self-certification; certificate names the compound | Silicone, EPDM, nitrile, FKM, FFKM on specific compounds |
| NSF/ANSI 51 | Food equipment materials | NSF listing | EPDM, silicone |
| NSF/ANSI 61 | Drinking water system components | NSF listing | EPDM (the usual potable-water material) |
| USP Class VI | Biological reactivity (USP chapter 88) | Test laboratory report | Platinum-cured silicone, specialty EPDM, FFKM |
| ISO 10993-5 and -10 | Cytotoxicity, sensitization and irritation | Test report | Medical-grade EPDM and silicone |
| 3-A Sanitary Standards | Hygienic design of dairy and food equipment; elastomers under their own 3-A standard | Equipment authorization; material conformance | EPDM, silicone, FKM |
| EC 1935/2004, KTW, WRAS | EU food contact; German and UK drinking water | Declaration or scheme approval | EPDM (the Parker® E3609-70 sheet lists KTW and WRAS) |
Materials by duty
| Duty | Usual material | Range (Parker O-Ring Handbook ORD 5700 section 2.2, read 2026-09-14) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry food contact, dispensing, static seals | Silicone | -54 C to 204 C | Static only; fats and oils swell it |
| Hot water, steam, clean-in-place, steam-in-place | EPDM (peroxide-cured) | -57 C to 150 C; steam compounds to 204 C | Never oils or fats |
| Fats, oils, fryers, hot oil lines | FKM (Viton®) | -26 C to 204 C | Steam and hot water |
| Oil-contact machinery at moderate temperature | Nitrile | -34 C to 100 C | Ozone, low heat ceiling |
| Aggressive cleaning chemistry with heat | FFKM (compliant grades) | -26 C to 320 C | Cost |
| Flange gaskets on sanitary lines | Cut EPDM, silicone or PTFE sheet | as above; PTFE per grade sheet | Creep on PTFE |
The Parker E3609-70 EPDM datasheets on file are the worked example: one compound listed FDA compliant and to NSF 51, NSF 61, USP Class VI, KTW and WRAS, with a separate ISO 10993 report, rated -57 C to 150 C continuous and resistant to steam, gamma and ethylene-oxide sterilization per the sheet (Parker E3609-70 sheet, read 2026-08-13).
What the order must state
The size or the gasket drawing; the material family; the exact requirement (21 CFR 177.2600, NSF 51, NSF 61, USP Class VI, 3-A) and whether a certificate or report must ship with the parts; the temperature and the cleaning chemistry; color if line inspection needs it; static or dynamic. The FDA and food-grade guide explains the schemes, the EPDM and silicone pages the materials, and the EPDM gasket page the cut-gasket side. Send it through the quote request.
Viton is a trademark of The Chemours Company; Parker is a trademark of Parker Hannifin Corporation. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Reviewed by Grant Midstokke, Conquest Seal Corporation. Last updated September 2026. Material ranges and process figures are the published references named beside them.
Frequently asked questions
Is a white O-ring food grade?
No. Color is pigment; the compound number and its compliance line are the evidence.
Do I need USP Class VI for food equipment?
Usually not; it is a medical and pharmaceutical standard. Food equipment specifies 21 CFR 177.2600, NSF/ANSI 51 or 3-A.
Can one compound satisfy several schemes?
Yes; the E3609-70 sheet carries six. Each still has to be named on the certificate.
Can you cut FDA-compliant gaskets?
Yes, on the waterjet from compliant EPDM, silicone, nitrile or PTFE sheet; the sheet maker's compliance line ships with the parts.
Related guides
Send the part number and we quote it
Part number or drawing, compound if you know it, and the quantity. A Conquest representative replies, not an auto-responder.
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