What the paperwork has to say
The history is the whole claim. Look for who owned the tote, what it held each time, and that none of those were chemicals. Delivery documents, a bill of lading, a supplier letter or a batch record can carry it. If the paperwork stops at a hand-off, so does the claim.
The plastic itself is not the issue. Polyethylene is listed in federal rules among the olefin polymers that may be used in articles that contact food. What matters is what has been in the bottle, and what could have soaked into the wall or the gasket.
Two honest routes to food use
The first is documented food-only history in a sound tote. The second is a new bottle, either a new tote or a rebottled one, where the plastic has no past. Both need the cap, gasket and valve to be clean and food-appropriate.
Neither route is a promise from this site. We state what a grade means and what a buyer should ask for; the paperwork is between you and the seller, and your own food-safety program decides whether it is enough.
Who asks for food-grade totes here
Date packers in the Coachella Valley use wash lines and ask about history first. Temecula Valley wineries and bottled-water or beverage plants in Ontario and Corona are the other regular askers, along with growers who want irrigation or spray water without a chemical past. Many ask for one to ten totes and that is a normal request.
Read food-grade history, explained for the buyer's checklist, and the date growers and wineries pages for how the two industries use totes.
What not to accept
- A tote with no label and no one to ask.
- A tote that "was probably food".
- A rinsed tote described as food grade.
- Any tote that held a hazardous chemical, whatever its condition.
Questions people ask
Is food grade a grade you can get from washing?
No. Washing removes residue. Food grade is about history, so it comes from paperwork or from a new bottle.
Can I use a food-history tote for drinking water?
Check with the authority for your use. The CDC calls FDA-approved food-grade containers best for emergency water; stored rainwater is not for drinking at all.
Can I ask for only one?
Yes. Say it is one tote in the request, and say what it will hold.
Sources. Last reviewed 2026-11-11.