What makes a brew bucket food grade?

Question

This question usually pops up in my head every time I step into Home Depot and see all the orange buckets around.

What makes a bucket food grade?

Answer 1

It's the type of plastic, and how it's manufactured (it has to do with the chemical properties of the plastic). A food grade container will not allow most foods to leach toxic chemicals from it under normal operating conditions.

Using Plastic Buckets in Food Storage

Answer 2

Look for the recyclable marks on the buckets, usually on the bottom. There should be three arrows in the shape of a triangle with a number in the center. If the number is #1 or #2 then it is food grade. Usually #2 which is HDPE or high density polyethylene.