Stainless application
Stainless Steel for Food & Beverage
Food contact is a surface problem before it is a material problem. The grade is usually 304 or 316L; what actually decides whether a surface is cleanable is the Ra finish, the weld quality and the passivation, not the alloy number.
Specification
What Food & Beverage Specifies
| Grades normally used | 304 · 316L |
|---|---|
| Product forms | Sheet · Sanitary tube · Fittings · Bar |
| Standards & approvals | ASTM A240 (sheet) · ASTM A270 (sanitary tube) · 3-A · EHEDG · FDA food contact |
Grade by grade
What Each Grade Does in Food & Beverage
A stainless application page that lists grades without saying what each one is for is a catalogue, not a specification. These are the roles they actually play here.
| Grade | The job it does here | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 316L | The choice for wet, salty or acidic product contact — brine, sauce, dairy, anything with chlorides. The molybdenum resists the pitting that would attack 304 in the same line. | Specs → |
| 304 | The workhorse for dry product contact, general equipment and structural framing. Fine wherever chlorides are not concentrated; step to 316L where salt or acid is the working fluid. | Specs → |
Before you send the enquiry
Specification Mistakes That Cost Money Here
None of this is exotic. All of it arrives on real enquiries, and each one adds a round trip before a price can be issued.
1. Specifying "food grade stainless" without a finish. The alloy is one decision; the Ra surface roughness is the other, and it is the one that decides cleanability.
2. Leaving the weld finish unstated. An as-welded bead with heat tint is a crevice and a contamination site; specify ground, pickled and passivated welds.
3. Confusing 304 and 316L for brine or acid service. Chlorides in food processing pit 304; 316L is the honest grade for wet, salty product contact.
4. Skipping the surface finish number. "Mirror" or "polished" is not measurable; write the Ra value or the mill finish designation (2B, BA, No.4) on the order.
Categories that serve it
What We Supply Into Food & Beverage
Stainless Steel Coil
Cold-rolled and hot-rolled coil in 200 / 300 / 400 series.
Stainless Steel Sheet & Plate
Cold-rolled sheet and hot-rolled plate for structural and decorative use.
Stainless Steel Tube & Pipe
Seamless and welded round, square and rectangular tube.
Stainless Steel Bar & Rod
Round, flat, square and hexagonal bar, cold drawn or hot rolled.
Verification
What We Put in Writing for This Application
- Mill test certificate to the class your file requires — 2.2 or 3.1 — carrying the actual composition and mechanical values for the heat, so the grade is checkable against the order.
- Surface finish and gauge recorded before packing; photos of the sealed container.
- Where the market requires it, the food-contact, 3-A or coating test report with the issuing body named.
Before you ask
Food & Beverage — Questions That Come Up
Is 304 or 316L better for food contact?
Both are used, but 316L is the right call for wet, salty or acidic product — brine, sauces, dairy, CIP chemicals. 304 is fine for dry product and general equipment. If chlorides are in the working fluid, specify 316L.
What surface finish is required for food equipment?
It depends on the contact duty. Sanitary service typically needs Ra 0.8 µm or finer on product-contact surfaces, with welds ground smooth and pickled and passivated. Write the Ra value or the mill finish designation rather than "polished".
What standard applies to sanitary stainless tube?
ASTM A270 for sanitary tubing, with 3-A or EHEDG compliance where the equipment is certified. Name the standard and the finish on the enquiry — they change the inspection and the documentation.