Replies

1. 
   _mj_ | Nov 16, 2021 10:37am | #1

   Safe to use as a surface to put/ prepare food on...yes. Safe to eat as a side dish...no.

   Actually if you ate chips of the stuff it would likely just pass through your system, but I'm certain it would be frowned upon by the manufacturer and your doctor.

2. 
   mikaol | Nov 16, 2021 10:54am | #2

   As MJ said, don't eat the wood & you'll be safe.

3. 
   beasleysevin | Nov 17, 2021 08:15pm | #3

   Agree with both above. I would also not use it on soup bowls or mugs or anything that comes in contact with hot foods.

4. 
   Deleted | Nov 18, 2021 07:50am | #4

   “[Deleted]”

5. 
   user-1118538293 | Nov 19, 2021 06:33pm | #5

   The only qualification I would add is that if you happen to be making a product for sale, I would not use anything that isn’t FDA approved for food contact.

6. 
   _mj_ | Nov 19, 2021 08:10pm | #6

   Are there ANY finishes that are "FDA approved for food contact", or is this another woodland myth?

7. 
   user-1118538293 | Nov 20, 2021 08:27am | #7

   There is an extensive list of approved coatings here: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=175.300
   This list specifies that the coating is applied "as a continuous film, or. . .is applied to any suitable substrate as a continuous film. . . that serves as a functional barrier between the food and the substrate"
   This does potentially conflict with the FDA Food Code, or at least it creates a complex interaction, because the food code required that food-contact items have surfaces that are "Resistant to pitting, chipping, crazing, scratching, scoring, distortion, and decomposition"
   So most film finishes would have a tough time meeting that standard, except shellac, which is approved as a food ingredient so they don't care if it flakes off and you eat it (but then it's not continuous anymore). Thus we are left with all the waxes and oils that provide little protection. General Finishes even changed the name of Salad Bowl Finish to Wood Bowl Finish and notes that it is for decorative items, recommending Butcher Block Oil for food-contact surfaces (which is mineral oil based).
   My read (amateur woodworker, kitchen pro) is that you can feel good about using the long list of approved finishes for non-commercial use and most all of them will be hand-wash only, but that any hard film-finish product (including the OP's polyester) should not be in play if there is any chance it might end up in a commercial environment.
   Possibly useful: https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/food-safe-finish-considerations
   (again, I think there is an additional level of consideration that comes into play in commercial environments, which does not seem to be the focus of the article)

8. 
   Deleted | Nov 20, 2021 08:43am | #8

   “[Deleted]”

9. 
   stantheman | Nov 20, 2021 12:55pm | #9

   What wood finishes typically use polyester? Any chance the OP was actually meaning polyurethane?

1. 
   user-1118538293 | Nov 20, 2021 02:19pm | #10

   Polyester would be the resin included with most DIY-type fiberglass repair materials. I have not seen it sold to consumers as a wood finish, but I can see a certain appeal as it’s cheaper than epoxy and often virtually colorless. Smelly as all get-out, though. A common wood application is on canoe paddle blades to increase impact resistance.

10. 
    gulfstar | Nov 20, 2021 05:41pm | #11

    There is polyester fabric also , I guess this is where the expression eating your shirt comes from since it is food safe . Jokes appart there are so many applications to poly…esters that deciding if it is food safe is impossible unless we know what recipie is used, in the case of the resin used in boat building I would not even eat a sandwich close to a fiberglass shop .

11. 
    bobr2 | Nov 20, 2021 08:06pm | #12

    Polyester is actually a class of materials, not a specific substance. I can't comment on the safety of the material you are using but PET is just one specific case. The catalyst used to cause polymerization is likely more of a hazard though than the polymerized material as it may remain and leech out. Again, I know nothing about the food safety or chemistry of the product you are using, but I think caution is advised, especially if this is a product that will be sold to others.

12. 
    jharveyb | Nov 22, 2021 10:46am | #13

    It never hurts to contact the tech department of the manufacturer of the product to see what they say. They should know more than any of us about uses/warnings.
    I just contacted Waterlox tech for application questions about their exterior finishes, and got good, clear answers. (Didn't involve food safe questions.)