For procurement teams in hospitality, food service, and retail, tableware selection is a compliance and risk decision as much as a design choice. Stainless steel and 세라믹 식기 are both common, but they present different safety profiles, durability trade-offs, and regulatory obligations.
In this guide, Kedali, a leading ceramic tableware manufacturer, gives procurement managers a pragmatic comparison and a buyer-focused checklist to reduce liability and ensure consistent performance across large orders.
How the Materials Interact with Food (Safety Fundamentals)
Stainless steel
- Non-porous and inherently corrosion-resistant when the correct alloy (e.g., 304 / 18-8) is used.
- Surface integrity is critical: While deep scratches can trap food, key risks include scratches combined with chemical exposure.
- Metal ion release is typically below regulatory limits when compliant grades and finishes are used, but migration can increase under acidic or prolonged contact conditions.
세라믹 식기
- A fired clay body covered by a glaze forms the food-contact barrier.
- When produced correctly (high-fire bodies + lead-free glaze), ceramic becomes chemically inert and non-reactive.
- Primary risk: improper glaze formulation or low firing temperature can allow lead/cadmium migration or porous surfaces that harbor bacteria.
Practical implication: Both materials can be safe if specified and manufactured correctly; risk arises from substandard materials, poor process control, or lack of third-party testing.
Chemical Migration & Regulatory Risk
- Metal alloys: Buyers must confirm the steel grade. Request material certificates for alloys (304 is standard for food contact). For operators serving highly acidic foods, consider 316-grade to ensure maximum corrosion resistance.
- Ceramic glazes: Lead and cadmium migration are the main concerns. Modern commercial suppliers use lead-free glazes, but buyers must insist on current migration reports.
- Regulatory landscape: Major markets require documented proof—FDA (US), LFGB (Germany/EU), and EC 1935/2004 in Europe. For ceramic, migration test certificates are non-negotiable; for steel, alloy certificates and passivation/finish data are essential.
Durability in Commercial Use
Stainless steel
- Strengths: Excellent impact resistance, will dent before it breaks; mechanically, the most stable option with the most direct load path in high-turnover environments.
- Weaknesses: visible scratches and dents accumulate; surface finish degrades over time, which can undermine perceived hygiene.
세라믹 식기
- Strengths: retains pristine visual appearance until a real chip or crack occurs; glazes resist staining and maintain color when properly fired.
- Weaknesses: chips or cracks are catastrophic for function and hygiene; thermal shock (rapid temperature change) failure occurs primarily when the Coefficients of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of the body and glaze are mismatched.
Procurement note: Evaluate total lifecycle costs—not only unit price. Ceramic may reduce reputational and marketing costs for guest-facing service, while steel minimizes replacement in harsh back-of-house use.
Hygiene, Cleaning, and Operational Compatibility
- Dishwashing: Both materials can be compatible with commercial dishwashers. However, for stainless steel, assess compatibility with specific industrial detergents to prevent surface pitting.
- Surface hygiene: Stainless steel can be sanitized easily, but it shows wear. High-quality glazed ceramic offers a non-porous surface that resists stains and odor if glaze adhesion is correct.
- Microwave use: Standard stainless steel is typically not microwave-compatible; however, modern “microwave-safe” stainless steel with specific rounded-edge geometry and certified surface treatments may be specified for these applications. Ceramic is generally microwave-safe unless containing metallic trims.
Documentation Buyers Must Request
- Material certificates (steel grade/alloy test report).
- Glaze composition and third-party migration test reports (lead & cadmium).
- Coefficients of Thermal Expansion (CTE) matching validation and thermal-shock testing data for ceramics.
- Production quality records: verified firing consistency, porosity, or water absorption tests.
- Corrosion resistance reports for stainless steel (especially for 304/316 grades in commercial use).
Risk Management & Supplier Selection
- Audit the factory: Verify in-house versus subcontracted steps (glazing, firing, polishing). Critical steps outsourced without oversight increase variability.
- Insist on third-party testing: Independent labs add credibility and reduce recall risk.
- Set AQL and replacement terms: Tie payment milestones to inspection outcomes and require remediation windows for failed batches.
Use-Case Recommendations
- Back-of-house / high-loss environments: Stainless steel — lower breakage, easier to justify at scale.
- Guest-facing operations / premium dining/retail: 세라믹 식기 — superior presentation and perceived quality when compliance and manufacturing controls are enforced.
- Hybrid approach: Use steel for utility tasks and ceramic for plates, bowls, and items that influence guest perception.
결론
Safety and durability are procurement disciplines, not product attributes. Both stainless steel and 세라믹 식기 can meet food-service safety standards — but only with the right material specifications, factory controls, and documentation. For B2B buyers, the decisive actions are simple: require certificates, demand third-party testing, audit manufacturing flows, and measure lifecycle cost so your choice aligns with operational reality and brand risk.
