Best Food Grade Adhesive for Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is the material of choice for food processing equipment, commercial kitchens and beverage manufacturing thanks to its corrosion resistance, durability and hygienic finish. However, there are many situations where welding or mechanical fixings aren’t practical, making a food grade adhesive for stainless steel the ideal solution.
Whether you’re manufacturing food processing machinery, repairing commercial catering equipment or assembling stainless steel components, choosing the correct adhesive is essential to ensure both structural performance and regulatory compliance. Choosing the best food grade adhesive for stainless steel depends on more than just bond strength. Factors such as food contact compliance, resistance to cleaning chemicals, moisture exposure and the type of load placed on the joint all play an important role in selecting the right product.
In this guide, we’ll explain what makes an adhesive food safe, the regulations to consider and why Permabond ET5164 is one of the best food grade adhesives available for stainless steel bonding.
Why Use Adhesive Instead of Welding?
Whilst welding remains common in stainless steel fabrication, structural adhesives offer several advantages.
Adhesives can:
- Bond thin stainless steel without distortion
- Eliminate heat affected zones
- Reduce manufacturing time
- Bond dissimilar materials
- Seal and bond simultaneously
- Improve vibration resistance
- Distribute stresses across the entire joint
For many food processing applications, adhesives can provide a cleaner and more economical alternative to welding or mechanical fasteners.
What Makes an Adhesive Food Grade?
Not every adhesive can be used around food.
A genuine food contact adhesive has been tested to ensure it complies with recognised regulations governing materials that may come into contact with food.
The two most recognised standards are:
FDA 175.300
This US regulation covers resinous and polymeric coatings intended for repeated food contact. The requirements for resinous and polymeric coatings used in food contact applications are published in the official FDA 21 CFR 175.300 regulations. These regulations outline the conditions under which materials may be safely used in contact with food.
EU Food Contact Regulation 10/2011
This European regulation controls materials intended to come into contact with food, ensuring harmful substances are not transferred into food products.
When selecting an adhesive for food manufacturing equipment, always verify compliance with the relevant regulations required for your application.
The Best Food Grade Adhesive for Stainless Steel
For structural bonding of stainless steel in food manufacturing environments, we recommend Permabond ET5164.
This two-part structural epoxy adhesive has been specifically developed for food contact applications and complies with both:
- FDA 175.300
- EU Food Contact Regulation 10/2011
Unlike general-purpose epoxies, ET5164 has been formulated for demanding industrial environments where hygiene, strength and durability are essential.
Key Benefits
- Excellent adhesion to stainless steel
- High structural shear strength
- FDA compliant
- EU food contact compliant
- Excellent water resistance
- Excellent chemical resistance
- Lightly thixotropic formulation
- Suitable for gap filling up to 2mm
- Easy 1:1 mixing ratio
Typical Applications
Food grade structural adhesives are commonly used for:
- Food processing machinery
- Commercial kitchen equipment
- Beverage dispensing systems
- Brewery equipment
- Dairy processing machinery
- Stainless steel tanks
- Conveyor systems
- Packaging machinery
- Mixing equipment
- Filter housings
- Stainless steel fabrications
Surface Preparation
Correct preparation is essential to achieve maximum bond strength.
We recommend:
- Remove all grease, oils and contamination.
- Clean using acetone or isopropyl alcohol.
- Lightly abrade stainless steel if possible.
- Remove dust and debris.
- Apply adhesive immediately after preparation.
Proper surface preparation often has a greater impact on bond performance than the adhesive itself.
Why Choose a Two-Part Epoxy?
Two-part structural epoxies provide several advantages over alternative adhesive technologies.
Compared to silicone
- Much higher structural strength
- Better load-bearing performance
- Greater chemical resistance
Compared to cyanoacrylate
- Better gap filling
- Improved impact resistance
- Superior long-term durability
Compared to polyurethane
- Higher stiffness
- Better dimensional stability
- Excellent adhesion to stainless steel
Is Permabond ET5164 Suitable for Food Processing Equipment?
Yes.
Permabond ET5164 was specifically developed for bonding stainless steel in food contact applications and complies with both FDA 175.300 and EU Food Contact Regulation 10/2011.
Typical industries include:
- Food manufacturing
- Beverage production
- Commercial catering
- Pharmaceutical processing
- OEM equipment manufacturing
If food contact approval isn’t required, a toughened MMA such as Permabond TA4205 offers excellent bonding performance for stainless steel and metals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ordinary epoxy in food processing equipment?
Not unless it has been tested and certified for food contact applications. Standard epoxies are not automatically food safe.
Is stainless steel difficult to bond?
No. With proper cleaning and preparation, structural epoxy adhesives achieve excellent adhesion to stainless steel.
Is adhesive stronger than welding?
For many applications, adhesives provide excellent structural performance while avoiding distortion, corrosion risks and stress concentrations associated with welding. However, the best joining method depends on the application.
Can food grade epoxy withstand cleaning chemicals?
Yes. Permabond ET5164 offers excellent resistance to water and many industrial cleaning chemicals commonly used within food manufacturing facilities.
What is the best food grade adhesive for stainless steel?
For structural bonding applications, Permabond ET5164 is an excellent choice thanks to its FDA 175.300 and EU Food Contact Regulation 10/2011 compliance, high structural strength and outstanding adhesion to stainless steel.
Shop Food Grade Stainless Steel Adhesives
If you’re looking for a reliable structural adhesive for food processing equipment, commercial kitchens or stainless steel fabrication, Permabond ET5164 provides outstanding strength together with recognised food contact compliance. When searching for the best food grade adhesive for stainless steel, it’s important to select an adhesive that has been specifically developed for food contact applications rather than relying on a standard industrial epoxy. This helps ensure both long-term performance and regulatory compliance.
👉 View our Permabond ET5164 product page to learn more or contact our technical team for application advice.