In recent years, silicone has indeed been seen as a perfect alternative to plastic by many parents trying to reduce their babies’ exposure to plastic, and has been favored for its more environmentally friendly and food safe properties. However, when it comes to the safety of silicone, we need to be clear: not all silicones are created equal.
It depends mainly on the curing method and the raw materials. Silicone can be cured with peroxide or platinum.
Peroxide curing is inexpensive, but can produce by-products such as volatile organic acids, which can contain contaminants similar to plastics.
Platinum curing is more expensive, but no byproducts are produced during the curing process, and the resulting silicone is purer and cleaner. This type of silicone is preferred by the food, beverage and medical industries because of its excellent purity.
Curing method: Platinum-cured silicone costs more, so the selling price is relatively high.
Raw materials: The choice of raw materials for silicone will also affect its cost and selling price. For example, the cost of high quality raw materials such as highly transparent fumed silicone is higher.
Process and structure: The manufacturing process and structural size of silicone products also affect their selling price. Complex structural design and various process treatments will increase production costs.
Demand and mold: The number of mold cavities of the product will affect the production capacity. Only when the customer demand and the number of mold cavities reach a reasonable ratio can the labor cost be reduced and the cost performance of customized silicone products be improved.
In addition to purity, platinum-cured silicone has better physical properties than standard silicone:
No yellowing
Higher tear strength
Better flexibility
Excellent non-stick properties
High temperature and aging resistance
When choosing silicone products, consumers should also look for certification marks from other authoritative organizations, such as LFGB certification. LFGB certification is issued by the German Food Authority and is known for its rigorous certification process and standards. It is considered one of the highest levels of food contact certification in the world.
To ensure the safest and healthiest start for your baby, choose the best performing and purest silicone products that have passed the highest level of safety testing and certification. This includes carefully reviewing the product’s ingredient list, understanding the product’s curing process, and confirming that the product has been certified by an authoritative organization such as the LFGB.
