How to Remove Odor from Food-Grade Silicone Products

I. Introduction

в cludes: shows up in more places than most people realize. Baking molds, spatulas, baby bottle nipples, lunch containers, even certain medical tubes — it’s everywhere. People like it because it’s flexible, safe under heat, BPA-free, basically stable no matter how much hot soup or boiling water it touches.

But there’s one thing that still makes some buyers pause: the smell.
A lot of new silicone items carry a light but noticeable odor when the package is opened. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong or unsafe. It’s more like the “factory smell” trapped inside the bag.

The funny thing is, many people assume silicone is completely odorless from day one, so the smell feels unexpected. The truth is, it mostly comes from curing, molding, and the way the product was stored. And the good news is — the odor can be removed pretty easily, both by factories and everyday users.

II. Why Food-Grade Silicone Has Odor

1. Leftovers from the Molding Stage

During molding, silicone is heated with curing agents, cross-linking additives, and a bunch of things needed for stability. If curing doesn’t finish 100% — maybe the mold is thicker, maybe the temperature fluctuated, maybe the batch was rushed — some VOCs stay inside the material.

These VOCs slowly drift out, especially when heated. That’s the “new silicone smell.”
Some factories joke that the smell is basically “polymer perfume,” though probably no one wants to wear it.

2. Packaging & Storage

Silicone items are usually sealed the moment they’re cooled to avoid dust. But sealing traps whatever fumes are still rising from the product. If the items sit in a warehouse with poor ventilation for a few weeks, the smell only gets stronger.

Think about opening a brand-new lunchbox and the first breath is “factory air.”
That’s exactly what happens with silicone.

3. Raw Material Quality

High-purity silicone smells less.
Recycled or mixed silicone smells more — sometimes noticeably more.

Silicone itself (silica gel; rubber) is known for strong adsorption, good thermal stability, and stable chemical nature. But when fillers or cheap additives are mixed in, odor can increase. This is why cheap silicone baking molds from unknown factories sometimes smell sharper.

III. Industrial Ways to Remove Odor

1. Secondary Vulcanization

Factories often do a second bake at 180–200°C for 2–4 hours.
This step removes most of the leftovers from curing.

Brands that make baby products or medical silicone parts pretty much always do this. Small workshops sometimes skip it — saving time, but sacrificing smell control.

2. Better Raw Materials

Platinum-cured silicone smells lighter because the reaction is cleaner.
Peroxide-cured silicone works well but produces more by-products.

If a brand says “platinum-cured,” it usually means they care about odor, especially for food items.

3. Adjusting Mold Temperature & Timing

Even a small tweak — a few degrees hotter or a minute longer — affects how fully the silicone cures. Complete curing = less smell. Workers on the production line adjust settings depending on humidity that day, mold size, or whether the equipment was just cleaned.

4. Proper Ventilation

Factories with good airflow smell different — literally.
With enough ventilation, VOCs escape instead of settling on products.

5. Clean Molds = Less Smell

Old silicone crumbs or half-cured residue stuck in a mold can transfer smells to the next batch. This is why the production team spends so much time wiping molds, which they usually dislike but know is necessary.

6. Food-Safe Odor Absorbers

Some manufacturers add small amounts of FDA/LFGB-approved additives that help catch odor molecules. Not common, but it exists.

IV. Consumer Ways to Remove Odor

Even perfectly cured silicone smells a bit when new. These simple methods work:

1. Baking Soda Soak

Warm water + a spoon or two of baking soda.
Soak overnight.
One of the easiest fixes — baking soda neutralizes surface smells fast.

2. Vinegar Rinse

A 1:3 white vinegar + water mix helps break down certain odor molecules.
Rinse well afterward.

3. Dishwasher (Hot Cycle)

High heat, steam, and water pressure help silicone release whatever VOCs are still inside. Some users say the smell disappears after just one cycle.

4. Sunlight & Fresh Air

Leave the silicone item outside for a few hours.
Sunlight plus airflow works surprisingly well. Just don’t bake transparent silicone too long or it may yellow slightly.

V. How to Pick Low-Odor Silicone Products

• Prefer platinum-cured silicone.
• Choose brands that mention secondary vulcanization.
• Look for FDA or LFGB approval for food-contact items.
• Avoid extremely cheap silicone products — strong smells often come from recycled material.

CASINDA, certified with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, uses stable processes and good raw materials, so odor control tends to be more consistent in our Силиконовые продукты.

VI. Conclusion

A slight odor from new food-grade silicone is normal. It comes from VOCs, curing agents, and storage conditions. At the industrial level, steps like secondary vulcanization, better raw materials, clean molds, and steady production conditions keep the smell low. Consumers can easily remove whatever odor remains with sunlight, a dishwasher, baking soda, or vinegar.

Once the initial smell fades, silicone shows all its strengths — heat resistance, safety, and long life — without any unwanted side notes.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

Q: Is it normal for food-grade silicone to smell?

A: Yes. The smell comes from leftover VOCs from molding. It fades naturally.

Q: How to quickly remove odor from food-grade silicone?

A: Baking soda soak → good rinse → hot dishwasher cycle → dry in fresh air.

Q: Does secondary vulcanization really eliminate silicone odor?

A: Yes. Heating at 180–200°C for 2–4 hours removes most trapped VOCs.

Q: Which has less odor: platinum-cured or peroxide-cured silicone?

A: Platinum-cured almost always smells lighter.