Food Legislation

To ensure the safe manufacture of food, global and local regulatory bodies approve certain lubricants for use in food manufacturing. The US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and NSF International manage global approvals. Canadian approvals are governed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Click on a link below to learn more about these regulatory bodies and their activities concerning food grade lubricants. Links on this page open in a new window.

US FDA – Food and Drug Administration

USDA – United States Department of Agriculture

NSF International

Kosher and Halal Certified

CFIA – Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Choosing a Food Grade Lubricant – what to look for

The US FDA administers the legal approval of foodstuffs and remedies offered for sale in the US market.

The FDA holds a register called the United States Code of Federal Regulations. Chapter 21, Section 178.3570 dealing with lubricants for incidental contact with food. These may be safely used on machinery for producing, manufacturing, packing, processing, preparing, treating, packaging, transporting or holding food.

Lubricants whose components have this FDA approval have been approved to be indirect food additives - in other words approved for incidental contact with food so long as they do not exceed the stated limits which are 10 parts per million for hydrocarbon oils.

Visit the FDA website (opens in a new window)

Until September 1998 the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service published a List of Proprietary Substances and Non-food Compounds that were food grade or USDA H1 approved (called the ‘white book’). The USDA cancelled all its activity to review and approve lubricants in September 1998. Following this cancellation NSF International adopted the USDA procedures.

Visit the USDA website (opens in a new window)

NSF International is a not-for-profit, non-governmental body. It is the world leader in standard development, product certification, education and risk-management for public health and safety. NSF adopted the procedures, formerly governed by the USDA, to certify lubricants as H1 and H2.

NSF defines H1 and H2 lubricants as:

H1 : Lubricants "For Incidental Food Contact" special Approval Criteria based on FDA List 21 CFR. 178.3570 or 178.3620.

H2 : Other lubricants where contact with edible products is prohibited (ie contact with food NOT permitted)

NSF H1 Registered (followed by the registration number) on lubricant packaging indicates that the product has been registered with NSF as approved for incidental contact with food. For products to remain on the H1 list annual re-registration is necessary. All Shell Cassida® products are NSF H1 Approved.

Click here  for more information on NSF

Shell Cassida® products have been certified as Halal and Kosher.

Click here to view the Shell Cassida® Halal Certification (PDF: 500KB)

Click here to view the Shell Cassida® Kosher Certification (PDF: 235KB)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in 1997, consolidated the inspection and related services activities of several governmental bodies such as, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada and Industry Canada. The result was a single body responsible for all federal food, animal and plant health inspection programs.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has a Food Safety Enhancement Program (FSEP). A major part of this program is the enforcement of the internationally recognized HACCP system (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). Currently only federally registered fish and seafood processing establishments, and meat slaughter establishments that export to the United States, have been required to have HACCP systems in place. Even though these are the only food processing establishments that are legally required to implement HACCP under the FSEP, several other food sectors have been voluntarily implementing HACCP principles, such as: processed fruits and vegetables, shell and processed eggs, hatcheries, dairy and honey and maple syrup. The CFIA is currently proposing a regulatory amendment to make FSEP programs mandatory. For more information on HACCP click here.

Click here  for more information on the CFIA and FSEP.

Many lubricants will show the now obsolete USDA H1 approval. The USDA only ceased this activity in September 1998. You should now look to see that lubricants have third party registration like NSF H1 or the CFIA. The FDA approves the components that go into lubricants as food grade, so if the lubricant is approved by NSF or the CFIA it is likely that the lubricant components are FDA approved as well.