Food Grade Rubber, FDA O-Rings, FDA Rubber Parts, CFR 177.2600 Rubber

The third layer is the cover. The cover further protects the tube from external damage and deterioration form external forces. This cover can also serve as an identification tool or to simply improve the look. Although these secondary layers are commonly used, homogeneous tubes or hoses with only one layer are also available. To learn more about rubber hoses or to speak to on of Columbia's experienced engineers please call
1.800.227.3539 x-19

Rubber hoses play an integral part in today's food and beverage industry because of their versatility and functionality In order to choose the correct hose or tube for your application requires some background in how hoses are made. The following is a brief look into what makes up a hose.

Most rubber hoses have three layers, the inner most layer the "tube", the "carcass" or reinforcement, and the outer most layer or "cover". The inner most layer or tube has two functions: to contain the fluid being conveyed and to resist being broken down form that fluid.

If the fluid is going to be put under increased pressure the tube may need to be reinforced with either a fabric or wire. This reinforcement is often referred to as the second layer in most hoses, and can be seen in the image to the right. This reinforcement or "carcass" helps to protect the tube form internal pressure and outside forces

The National Sanitation Foundation, NSF, has issued two standards that can relate directly to food and beverage applications. Standard NSF-51 covers food equipment and related products, components and materials, and includes dispensers and other equipment involved in the preparation , storage or transfer of foods and beverages. This criteria is somewhat similar to FDA regulations. Standard NSF-61 covers Drinking Water System Component - health effects, and includes all equipment that comes in contact with drinking water. These criteria are based on EPA guidelines. Many of Columbia's elastomers used in Food & Beverage applications carry both certifications, so they can be used with both drinking water and prepared beverages.

Columbia's Food and Beverage hoses are all custom molded to your exact specifications and are available in NSF 51, NSF 61 and FDA compliant elastomers.
Food & Beverage EPDM Hoses These hoses are ideal for food and beverage, dairy and other applications within a temperature range of -67°F to 302°F. Recommended for applications that demand both flexibility and ruggedness with a clean FDA compliant tube. The food grade EPDM tube is odorless and tasteless for those applications involving transfer of oily substances. NSF 51 Certified.
Food & Beverage Nitrile Hose A high quality suction and discharge hose for food and dairy products, water transfer and hot CIP solution, it withstands temperatures of -67°F, to 257°F. Food suction hose meets criteria for FDA and NSF 51. Highly resistance to animal fat and vegetable oils.
Food & Beverage Silicone Hose Our food grade silicone hose is available in a variety of different hose products to suit your particular applications. All of our food-grade silicone tubing is FDA compliant and can provide reliable service at temperatures ranging form -175°F to 482°F.
General Hose Characteristics Resistance to bacteria build-up and complies with FDA standards for use in food contact surfaces Excellent resistance to chemical properties Designed for suction or discharge applications Odorless and tasteless cores allowing juices, beer and the like to remain pure Offer hoses with built in reinforcement Large range of working temperatures Offer hoses with increased flexibility

Columbia is proud to offer our line of NSF-51 and FDA compliant food grade elastomers elastomers for food and beverage applications. Currently we are manufacturing three compounds, EPDM, NBR, and VMQ that meet these rigorous specifications. All of our food grade rubber seals and gaskets are custom molded to your exact specifications enabling us to take on nearly any project. Columbia is also pleased to have a standardized line of rubber o-rings, in various sizes, shapes, durometers etc. that also meet the NSF and FDA criteria for food and beverage processes. However if you do not see the specifications you are looking for please contact our engineering department for more information.
1.800.227.3539 x-19

Columbia has NSF 51 and FDA Compliant food grade elastomers for applications involving rubber compounds interacting with food and beverages. At Columbia our NSF and FDA compliant food grade rubber compounds are put through rigorous testing to meet the demands of the most challenging food and beverage applications. Rubber compounds currently used include: Ethylene-Propylene (EPDM), Nitrile (NBR) and Silicone (VMQ). At Columbia we are proud to offer several lines of rubber o rings that meet these stringent demands, however, we also offer specialized rubber hoses, seals, and gaskets that can be custom molded to your specific specifications allowing us to meet nearly any criteria. The table shown below express some of the key features of Columbia's premium food grade rubber hose lines.