LFGB Certified Silicone Rubber

LFGB Certification for Silicone Rubber: The German and EU Food-Contact Standard

LFGB (Lebensmittel- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch — the German Food and Feed Code) is Germany's primary food safety legislation. §30 and §31 of the LFGB specifically regulate materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, including rubber and silicone materials. For silicone rubber products sold in Germany and exported to EU member states, LFGB certification is the de facto industry standard — often required alongside or instead of FDA certification by German and European buyers.

The LFGB Testing Framework

LFGB food-contact material testing is conducted under the overarching EU framework established by Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to contact food. Within this framework, LFGB §30/§31 and the associated German recommendations (BfR — Bundesamt für Risikobewertung / Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) define specific test requirements:

Migration testing: Measures the transfer of chemical substances from the silicone rubber article into food simulants under defined time and temperature conditions. The tests use EU standardized food simulants:

• Simulant A: 10% ethanol (aqueous food simulant)
• Simulant B: 3% acetic acid (acidic food simulant)
• Simulant C: 20% ethanol (moderate alcohol simulant)
• Simulant D1: 50% ethanol (high alcohol simulant)
• Simulant D2: Vegetable oil (fatty food simulant)

Migration is measured as: Overall Migration (OM) — total non-volatile substances migrating, maximum 10 mg/dm² (or 60 mg/kg food per EU Regulation 10/2011) — and Specific Migration Limits (SML) for individual regulated substances.

Sensory testing (the key LFGB differentiator from FDA): LFGB requires that rubber articles do not impair the organoleptic properties of food — they must not transfer any taste, odor, or color to food or drink under the intended conditions of use. This sensory test is performed by a panel of trained assessors. It is the most common reason silicone products fail LFGB testing: residual silicone oligomers or processing additives can impart detectable taste or odor to food at levels below chemical migration limits.

BfR Recommendation XXI (Silicones): The BfR publishes recommendations for specific material categories. BfR Recommendation XXI covers silicone rubber and elastomers for food contact, listing permitted silicone polymers, cross-linking agents, and additives, along with their conditions of use. Products must only use ingredients from this positive list.

LFGB vs FDA 21 CFR: Key Differences

LFGB is generally considered more stringent than FDA 21 CFR for food-contact silicone, primarily because of the sensory test requirement. A silicone compound can pass all FDA chemical extraction limits yet fail LFGB sensory testing due to detectable taste or odor.

Who Needs LFGB Certification?

German and EU market sales: Any silicone rubber food-contact article sold in Germany or the EU must comply with Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, and LFGB certification (per BfR Recommendation XXI) is the standard compliance documentation accepted by German retailers, food brands, and OEMs.

Export from China to Germany/EU: Chinese manufacturers exporting baking molds, kitchen utensils, baby products, and food processing seals to Germany routinely obtain LFGB certificates from accredited EU testing laboratories (e.g., SGS, Intertek, TÜV) on behalf of their EU importing customers.

Baby products (EN 14372): Baby feeding accessories (nipples, teethers, sippy cup spouts) must comply with EU Regulation 2023/2055 (formerly BfR Recommendation XXI for silicone) and EN 14372. LFGB certification is part of the compliance package.

Equivalent Chinese Standard

GB 4806.11-2016: China's national food safety standard for food-contact rubber materials and articles, part of the GB 4806 series under the China National Standard for Food Safety. Chinese manufacturers selling in domestic China market must comply with GB 4806.11 and obtain a third-party test report from a CMA/CNAS-accredited laboratory. GB 4806.11 and LFGB are not mutually recognized — separate testing is required for China and EU markets.

How to Obtain LFGB Certification

1. Have the silicone rubber article tested by an accredited laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025) for migration (EU simulants) and sensory evaluation.
2. Confirm that all ingredients in the silicone compound appear on the BfR Recommendation XXI positive list.
3. Obtain the test report and prepare a Declaration of Conformity (Article 16, Regulation EC 1935/2004) signed by the manufacturer/importer.
4. File the documentation and make it available to competent authorities and customers upon request.

Contact us to verify LFGB certification documentation and request LFGB-tested silicone samples for your food-contact application.