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Industry · Food & Beverage
The sector where there is no version of 'probably fine'.
Beverage co-packers, craft distillers, syrup producers and bottlers buy in small volumes with absolute requirements. Either a container has documented edible prior contents, a food-contact bottle, segregated storage history and a non-wood pallet, or it does not — and no amount of cleanliness bridges the gap. We keep this stock physically apart from everything else in the yard for exactly that reason.
Short answer
Documented single-trip food-grade containers with prior-contents records, non-wood pallets, sanitary fittings on request, and stainless vessels for CIP and hot fills.
- Stock
- Segregated
- Pallet
- Plastic / steel
- Fittings
- Tri-clamp available
- Allocation
- By request order
Form 01 · Spec request
Reserve food-grade stock.
Tell us the product, the volume and the timing. Food-grade inventory is allocated against qualifying inbound loads in the order requests arrive.
Requirements
What a food line needs from a container.
| Requirement | Standard | Why | Our provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prior contents | Edible or potable only, documented | Absorbed chemistry cannot be washed out of HDPE | Record supplied with every unit |
| Bottle resin | Food-contact compliant HDPE | Regulatory and migration requirements | Manufacturer declaration where published |
| Storage history | Segregated from industrial stock | Cross-contamination through handling and proximity | Dedicated pad and equipment |
| Pallet | Plastic or all-steel | Wood absorbs, harbours and cannot be sanitised | Base swap available at no drama |
| Fittings | Sanitary where the line requires it | Cleanability and connection standards | Tri-clamp, sanitary ball valve, silicone |
| Traceability | Serial recorded against batch | Turns a recall question into a lookup | Serial on every unit record |
Who buys
Typical customers
- Beverage co-packers batching syrup, concentrate and bases
- Craft distillers and brewers handling wash, juice and spirit-adjacent liquids
- Honey, maple and syrup producers moving bulk product
- Sauce, dressing and condiment manufacturers
- Pet and livestock feed supplement blenders
- Municipal and emergency management potable water reserves
Before first fill
Do this even with documented stock
- Rinse with potable water, detergent wash, rinse twice more
- Sanitise at label concentration and full contact time
- Air dry with the fill cap off and the outlet open
- Replace the outlet gasket and cap seal — the one place residue hides
- Inspect the interior with a lamp for crazing or stress whitening
- Record the container serial against the batch it carries
Questions
Food and beverage, answered.
01What documentation will we receive?
A prior-contents record naming the product and shipper, the bottle resin classification where the manufacturer publishes it, and our segregation and handling statement. If a container cannot carry that paperwork, it does not enter food stock at all.
02How is food stock kept separate from industrial?
Physically: a dedicated pad, dedicated handling equipment, never stacked beside industrial stock and never washed on the same line in the same shift. Segregation that exists only on paper is not segregation.
03Can we get sanitary fittings?
Yes. Tri-clamp outlets, sanitary ball valves and silicone gasket sets are all fitted to order rather than substituted after the fact.
04Are stainless vessels available for CIP?
Yes, in 304 and 316L, with spray balls and tri-clamp connections. For hot fills, food acids and clean-in-place routines, stainless is usually the correct answer rather than a compromise.
05How much notice do you need?
More than for industrial stock. Food-grade inventory is finite and allocated against qualifying inbound loads, so tell us volume and timing early and we will reserve rather than leaving you to check back.
Line-side detail
Fittings, cleaning and traceability by operation.
The container decision is only half of it. The connection, the cleaning regime and the batch record are the rest.
| Cargo | Outlet | Gasket | Cap | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syrup and concentrate | 3 in ball or butterfly | Silicone or EPDM | Vented for storage | Viscosity needs bore |
| Fruit juice and purée | 3 in full-port ball | Silicone | Vented | Pulp will not pass a disc |
| Vegetable and seed oils | 2 in ball | Viton or silicone | Solid for transport | Oil against elastomer |
| Vinegar and food acids | 2 in ball | EPDM or PTFE-lined | Vented | Acid compatibility |
| Glycerine and propylene glycol | 2 in butterfly | EPDM | Vented | Straightforward |
| Potable water | 2 in butterfly or hose thread | Silicone or EPDM | Vented | Local requirements may apply |
| CIP-connected line | Tri-clamp | Silicone | Sanitary | Cleanability governs |
| Field | Why an auditor asks | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Container serial | Links the batch to a specific unit with a history | Plate or your own marking |
| Batch or lot number | The other half of the link | Your production record |
| Fill date | Establishes sequence | Your production record |
| Prior contents of the container | Demonstrates eligibility for food service | Supplier's prior-contents record |
| Cleaning record before fill | Shows the control was applied, not just planned | Your cleaning log |
| Sanitiser and contact time | Demonstrates the sanitising step was effective | Your cleaning log |
| Gasket replacement | The one place residue persists | Your maintenance log |
Allocation
Why food-grade stock works differently from everything else.
Industrial stock is quoted from a shelf. Food-grade stock is allocated against qualifying inbound loads, because supply depends entirely on what arrives.
| Stage | What happens | Your part | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry | You tell us product, volume and month needed | One form | Now |
| Reservation | We hold against the next qualifying inbound load | Confirm the reservation | Same week |
| Qualification | Inbound stock assessed against the four food conditions | None | As it arrives |
| Segregation | Qualifying units to the dedicated pad, records attached | None | At intake |
| Preparation | Warm food cycle wash, new gaskets, base swap if needed | Confirm fittings | Before dispatch |
| Dispatch | Prior-contents record and segregation statement with the load | Receive and file | On delivery |
Tell us early if you need
- Volume above about twenty units in one month.
- A specific bottle colour or a particular base material.
- Sanitary fittings, which are sourced rather than stocked deep.
- Documentation in a specific format for your quality system.
- Delivery tied to a production date rather than a window.
What we will decline
- Supplying used industrial containers for food or potable service, under any circumstances.
- Describing a container as food grade without a prior-contents record.
- Washing an industrial container and reclassifying it.
- Supplying wood-based containers for a food line.
- Guessing at prior contents from a residue smell.
Extended FAQ · 6 questions
More questions, answered
01What documentation will we receive?
A prior-contents record naming the product and shipper, the bottle resin classification where the manufacturer publishes it, and our segregation and handling statement. If a container cannot carry that paperwork, it does not enter food stock.
02How is food stock kept separate from industrial?
Physically — a dedicated pad, dedicated handling equipment, never stacked beside industrial stock and never washed on the same line in the same shift. Segregation that exists only on paper is not segregation.
03Can we get sanitary fittings?
Yes. Tri-clamp outlets, sanitary ball valves and silicone gasket sets are fitted to order rather than substituted after the fact. Specify the connection at quote time.
04Are stainless vessels available for CIP?
Yes, in 304 and 316L, with spray balls and tri-clamp connections. For hot fills, food acids and clean-in-place routines, stainless is usually the correct answer rather than a compromise.
05How much notice do you need?
More than for industrial stock. Food-grade inventory is finite and allocated against qualifying inbound loads, so tell us volume and timing early and we will reserve rather than leaving you to check back.
06What single record should we keep?
The container serial against the batch it carried. It costs one spreadsheet column and about two seconds per fill, and it turns a quality investigation from an inspection of every container you own into a lookup.
Next step
Reserve rather than check back.
Food-grade stock is finite. Tell us the volume and the month and we will allocate against the next qualifying inbound load.