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Comment by amelius | Hacker News Reader

What about food safety? Can I safely put a sandwich in my self-made LEGO lunchbox and then eat it?

ABS can be food safe, but there is more to food safety than the type of plastic used. And I don't think Lego is food safe, it is certainly not advertised as such.

An important consideration when it comes to food safety is that your it doesn't become a breeding ground for bacteria. That's why FDM 3D prints are usually not food safe no matter what they are made off. For your Lego lunchbox, assuming the bricks themselves were food safe, you would probably need to regularly take the box apart and wash each brick individually.

That being said it probably won't kill you, but don't expect Lego or anyone in a position of authority to tell you that's fine.

Ok, so now my next question: is LEGO dishwasher safe?

Depends on the plastic, it's just the same question (for plastics anyway) as what temperature does it deform at. So if a thermoplastic just needs to be stable up to at least 70°C or whatever max temp. you're going to run it at.

I’d be concerned for the water tightness of this theoretical modular dishwasher.

I think we're talking about putting Lego bricks in the dishwasher (to clean them), not building a dishwasher out of Lego? Or did I misunderstand your comment?

I took it as a dishwasher made of Lego.

Yes, but the best way to wash Lego bricks is to disassemble the build, put the bricks into a washing net (the type you'd use for a bra), and put it in a european-style washing machine together with your regular clothes.

It'll come out perfectly clean without any damage.

Why wouldn't you? I'm pretty sure lots of kids put lego (or more likely duplo) pieces in their mouth all the time. Probably about the same risk as drinking from a plastic bottle.

The old jaw pliers were necessary when you didn’t have that little wedge they sell.

Approx. a billion times more risk from wherever you've been keeping the bricks, what else they've touched etc. rather than the plastic itself.

I assume you're from the US? What is it that seems to promote such food safety fear over there? It's really noticeable in 3D printing and food preservation communities/recipes.

If you use ABS or MABS bricks, yes. If you use older PP bricks, I'd recommend against it.

Why? Loads of food containers are made of PP. Is it the age rather than the material that puts you off?

I assume not porousness, since by far the largest pores regardless of material will be the brick joints.

BPA-containing materials are not food-grade in EU.

PP is BPA-free and widely used in the EU.

PP does not contain BPA. You might be thinking of PC.

Ah sorry, you're indeed right. Some PET materials would also contain BPA.

Either way, I'd be careful.

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