The Ethics Behind Food Grade Lubricant

Written by Chain Guard Staff
Original Date: 2021/03/15
Revision Date: 2025/04/30

At Chain Guard, we reduce friction and keep production lines moving safely. From industrial ovens to the family table, food manufacturers can trust Chain Guard Food Grade Lubricants to help reduce public health risks in the event of incidental lubricant contact with food.

In an industry where sales often take priority over safety, some suppliers still provide hazardous, non-food-grade graphite lubricants for use in food processing facilities. These products can pose serious health risks if trace amounts migrate into food during baking or production.

At Chain Guard, we believe ethics matter. That’s why we only supply lubricants that are NSF H1 Food Grade, CFIA Registered as Accepted for Use in Canadian Food Facilities, and New Zealand MPI permitted for use during processing of food. Our lubricants offer excellent performance, reduce friction, and above all, help protect everyone in the food chain—from manufacturers to consumers.

Why Isn't Everyone Using Food Grade Lubricants?

There is often a perception that H1 food grade lubricants are "too expensive" or that Maintenance Departments do not need food grade lubricants as their "products have little chance of coming to contact with oil, grease and lubricants”. There are many choices for quality food grade friction reducing lubricating products. To improve equipment performance and efficiency, be sure to find a product that is suited for your application. Consider temperature, amperage draw, speed of travel, pitch of chain and the application.

At Chain Guard, we know that in order to motivate companies to switch to food grade, which ultimately will make industrial baking safer, we need to also focus on delivering on the performance of our lubricants. Chain Guard offers lubricant products that are top performing, well engineered, safe, and provide premium lubricating properties. By solving the biggest drawback to the use of H1 food grade lubricants, Chain Guard is making progress on our vision; one industrial wholesale baking company at a time.

We make the choice between using hazardous lubricants and safe H1 food grade products easy. Food processing companies can feel at ease by using lubricants that keep chains moving and hard to reach areas lubricated, but also ensure that companies can #BakeSafe.

H1 vs. H2 Lubricants: What's the difference?

There are several common factors that contribute to driving chain system failure. In most cases, fatigue, stretch, and wear are the leading causes of breakdown. To help you identify and prevent issues before they escalate, here’s our breakdown of the top culprits behind conveyor chain drive failures:

Feature	H1 Lubricant	H2 Lubricants
Usage	Used where incidental food contact may occur	Used on equipment with no chance of food contact
Safety	Safe for food processing facilities	Not safe for direct or incidental food contact
Regulations	NSF H2 certified, CFIA approved	NSF H2 certified, not for use near food
Application	Conveyor systems, oven chains, mixers, and slicers	Motors, gearboxes, and bearings in non-food areas
Risk Level	Minimizes contamination risk	No protection if accidental food contact occurs

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Click here to visit the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to see our list of Chain Guard Approved NSF H1 & CFIA certified Food Grade lubricants.

Protecting What Matters Most

Food-grade lubricants do more than keep equipment running smoothly. They help protect the integrity of food production and, ultimately, the health and safety of the people who consume the final product. Every choice in a processing facility, from machinery to maintenance, carries real-world consequences, and lubrication is no exception.

At Chain Guard, we believe that using an H1 food-grade lubricant should not be one option among many. It should be the only choice for any company in the food industry. By choosing H1-certified lubricants, you reduce the potential for contamination and remove unnecessary risk from your operations. Hazardous lubricants have no place near food processing equipment, and it is our shared responsibility to keep them out.

We are proud to supply lubricants that meet the highest safety standards, including NSF H1 Food Grade certification and approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for use in food facilities. Our products help protect your equipment, support compliance, and most importantly, safeguard the well-being of the families who rely on the food you produce. When you choose Chain Guard, you are choosing to put safety first, not just for your operations, but for everyone at the end of the supply chain. Let us continue working together to keep our food systems safe, clean, and dependable. Protecting what matters most starts with the right lubricant.