Food-grade silicone ≠ safe! 3 common misconceptions. The new national standard GB4806.16-2025 helps you avoid these pitfalls.

Many people buy silicone kitchenware and feel reassured upon seeing a "food-grade silicone" label, but this contains several misconceptions.

Silicone spatulas, baby food bowls, baking molds… silicone kitchenware has long been a staple in many households.

Almost all soft kitchenware on e-commerce platforms is labeled as food-grade silicone, but many have encountered problems such as: a pungent odor when heated, cheap products being of inferior quality, and TPE being passed off as silicone.

On September 2, 2026, GB 4806.16-2025, "National Food Safety Standard - Silicone Rubber Materials and Products for Food Contact," will be mandatory. From then on, when choosing silicone products, one cannot rely solely on verbal claims from merchants.

❌Misconception 1: Higher transparency ≠ food-grade silicone; higher transparency means greater safety.

Many consumers fall into the misconception that the more transparent a product is, the better its quality, and therefore, that it must be food-grade silicone.

In fact, the transparency of silicone is primarily determined by the silica raw material in the formula and the production process, and is not directly related to its safety level.

High transparency ≠ food-grade safety: Some industrial silicones can achieve high transparency, but they may exceed the standards for small molecules and heavy metals, and are strictly prohibited from contact with food.

Semi-transparent/colored ≠ inferior quality: As long as the raw materials are compliant and food-grade colorants are used for color matching, matte and macaron-colored silicone products all meet food safety standards.

Ordinary consumers rarely have access to complete reports, so prioritize purchasing from reputable brands and avoid abnormally low-priced products.

Key point: Appearance can only be used as a preliminary reference and cannot be the core basis for determining food-grade silicone. Safety is determined solely by compliant testing reports.

❌Misconception 2: "BPA-free" means food-grade silicone

Opening product detail pages, "BPA-free, safe and non-toxic" is the most common marketing gimmick, misleading countless consumers into placing orders.

Hardcore science: BPA (Bisphenol A) is a testing indicator specific to plastics; silicone itself does not contain BPA! The claim of "BPA-free" by merchants is purely marketing rhetoric and does not prove the safety of silicone.

The true measure of whether silicone products meet food contact standards lies in a full set of authoritative tests: indicators such as substance migration, volatile organic compounds (VOM), heavy metals, and small molecule siloxane leaching.

The soon-to-be-mandated national standard GB 4806.16-2025 adds a mandatory limit of ≤0.5% for VOM, specifically controlling silicone odor and small molecule leaching issues. This new standard test report is the true safety certificate for silicone products.

❌ Misconception 3: All silicone products can be used in ovens and air fryers.

Many people assume all silicone products are heat-resistant and can be used in ovens, air fryers, and high-temperature steamers, which is a huge safety misconception.

Only platinum-cured food-grade silicone has a stable temperature resistance range of -40℃ to 230℃, allowing for repeated high-temperature baking and steaming without leaching.

Low-priced silicone products on the market are mostly peroxide-cured ordinary silicone, which has not undergone sufficient secondary curing treatment. Under high temperatures, residual small molecules will volatilize, producing a pungent plastic odor, posing a food safety hazard with long-term use.

Self-testing tip: If a silicone product has no odor at room temperature but emits a strong plastic smell upon heating, immediately stop using it.

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4 Industry Pitfalls: TPE Impersonating Silicone – Simple Identification Tips

Among the silicone kitchenware irregularities mentioned at the beginning, TPE material impersonating food-grade silicone is the most common and easily overlooked method of counterfeiting. The two are highly similar in appearance and feel, but TPE does not meet the standards for high-temperature use in food, is extremely low in cost, and has poor safety.

Ordinary people don't need professional equipment; three simple methods can quickly distinguish them:

1. High-temperature resistance test (most crucial): Food-grade silicone can withstand temperatures up to 230℃ and will not deform or emit odor when heated in an oven or air fryer; TPE material has extremely poor high-temperature resistance, softening and deforming at around 100℃, and quickly releasing a plastic odor.

2. Texture and Feel Distinction: Silicone feels warm, dry, and rebounds quickly, without any stickiness when kneaded; TPE is softer, stickier, easily leaves fingerprints after kneading, and rebounds slowly and loosely.

3. Burning Test: Silicone burns with white smoke, leaving white powder and no pungent odor; TPE burns with black smoke, accompanied by a strong plastic odor, leaving black clumps of residue.

⚠️The burning test is for reference only and is not recommended for everyday household use. Prioritize high-temperature resistance and texture identification methods.

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5 Factory Compliance Pain Points | New National Standard Implemented, High-Quality Silicone Raw Materials are Key

Most consumer problems stem from issues with raw material selection and quality control at the product end.

With the imminent implementation of the new national standard GB 4806.16-2025, the compliance threshold for the silicone product industry has significantly increased, making raw material quality the core of compliance inspections for enterprises.

Currently, the main compliance challenges in the industry are: excessive VOM (volatile organic compound) levels, odor generation at high temperatures, and substandard small molecule precipitation. For most companies, the problem isn't a lack of process technology, but rather that their raw materials cannot meet the mandatory indicators of the new national standards.

The core of compliant production is selecting compliant platinum silicone raw materials with low precipitation, low volatility, and high temperature resistance, thus mitigating product quality and testing risks from the source.

Having cultivated the food-grade silicone raw material field for many years, Tian'an Silicone consistently adheres to the new national standards, focusing on high-purity, low VOM, and high-temperature resistant platinum silicone raw materials. This avoids common industry problems such as the mixing of industrial materials, TPE adulteration, and high-temperature odors, making it suitable for the production of all categories of food contact products, including kitchenware, baby products, and baking supplies.

Raw materials are strictly controlled with VOM levels ≤0.5%, eliminating the need for complex secondary vulcanization. They can withstand long-term high and low temperature environments from -40℃ to 230℃, resulting in odorless finished products with low precipitation, meeting the testing requirements of the new national standards and helping finished products pass random inspections.

Focusing on high-quality, compliant silicone raw materials, we will continue to share silicone industry knowledge, interpretations of the new national standard, and tips on avoiding pitfalls in raw material selection, serving as a reference for product manufacturers.

Key Summary
1. Three Common Misconceptions about Silicone Selection

❌ Misconception 1: Higher transparency means safer silicone (Truth: Appearance does not determine safety; only look at the test report.)

❌ Misconception 2: BPA-free label means food-grade silicone (Truth: Silicone itself is BPA-free; this is purely a marketing gimmick.)

❌ Misconception 3: All silicone can be used in ovens and air fryers (Truth: Only platinum-cured food-grade silicone can withstand high temperatures.)

2. Key Points of the New National Standard

✅ Standard: GB 4806.16-2025, mandatory implementation September 2, 2026

✅ Core Indicator: A new mandatory limit of ≤0.5% for volatile organic compounds (VOM) has been added, addressing industry pain points such as high-temperature odor and small molecule leaching in silicone.

3. Quick Tips to Avoid Pitfalls

Learn to distinguish between TPE and silicone. Prioritize platinum-cured food-grade silicone and a complete set of new national standard test reports. Don't easily believe verbal claims from merchants; always verify testing information first.