Is there a way to truly 3D print something "food safe"?

I’m sure we’ve all seen or been a part of the debates about 3D printing food safe items. It seems to me that there are two main arguments always made about it:

  1. The print itself isn’t food safe due to the layer lines where bacteria can live

  2. The act of the filament passing through the nozzle makes the material no longer food safe, as the nozzle itself isn’t food safe.

So with these in mind, are there any methods or materials out there to guarantee maximum food safety? I have soo many ideas for food safe 3D prints, I want to make this happen!

you can maybe use the 3d prints to make tools to form foodsafe items on, Like a buck or a mold.

I’d suggest the biggest concern is layer lines. With this in mind I’d think the best way to deal with them is a coating like Permabond food grade epoxys or maxclear epoxy. This will fill the layer lines in. It also will bond and seal the plastics nullifying the concerns with the plastic itself and nozzle issues. If the print is fully encapsulated with a food grade coating and it is routinely inspected . In theory any print can be made food safe.

Personally I’d still use food grade plastic but I personally wouldn’t worry overly about the hot end. I would 100% seal the print!

I ask my self the same questions and here is something I found, it is interesting to read, it boils down to what material you use, what it is going to be use for, weather you get a sealant or not.
It even mention about the nozzle.

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with this being said there are a bunch of food safe materials you can use taulman makes some. you just have to make sure that you’re hot and has never printed anything but food safe materials and you’re running a stainless steel nozzle