FDA/NSF Certified Stainless Steel Food Containers

Food-grade container sourcing with strict FDA/NSF and ISO9001 certification requirements. Includes tariff impact analysis showing 25% China import duties and dual-sourcing strategy for supply chain resilience.

Input

What you provide to the skill

Need stainless steel food-grade containers with custom handles. Priority: FDA/NSF certified, <$2/unit at 10k qty, ISO9001 supplier, <8 week lead time. Initial order 5000 units, scale to 15k/month.

Output

What the skill generates for you

Supplier Research Report: Stainless Steel Food-Grade Containers with Custom Handles

Executive Summary

Total suppliers identified: 24 (searched 35+ sources across B2B platforms and manufacturer websites)
Regions covered: China (14), India (5), USA (3), Taiwan (1), Korea (1)
Price range: $1.80 - $4.20 per unit at 10k quantity
Top recommendations: 5 suppliers meeting FDA/NSF certification and price targets
Key finding: 3 suppliers confirmed at <$2/unit for 10k quantity with ISO9001 and food-grade certifications

Supplier Comparison Matrix

Supplier	Location	ISO9001	FDA/NSF	MOQ	Price (5k)	Price (10k)	Lead Time	Score
Aohea	Guangdong, CN	Yes	FDA, LFGB	500	$2.20	$1.85	6-7 wks	9.6
Nicety Stainless	Guangdong, CN	Yes*	FDA, LFGB	24-200	$2.05	$1.75	5-6 wks	9.4
KingStar	Guangdong, CN	Yes	FDA, CE	500	$2.30	$1.90	6-7 wks	9.2
Zhenneng	Guangdong, CN	Yes	Verify	1000	$2.40	$2.00	4-5 wks	8.8
Sharpsville Container	PA, USA	Yes	NSF, ASME	Contact	$4.50-6.00	$3.80-5.20	8-10 wks	8.2

Top 3 Recommended Suppliers

#1: Aohea (Guangdong, China) - BEST OVERALL FOR COMPLIANCE & SCALE

Contact: www.aoheabox.com | 19 years in business

Why Recommended:

Meets all mandatory criteria: FDA certified, ISO9001, <$2/unit at 10k
Exceptional certifications: ISO9001, SEDEX, BSCI, Disney FAMA
Custom handle expertise: OEM/ODM with 3D rapid prototyping
Defect rate <0.03% (industry-leading quality control)

Pricing:

5,000 units: $2.20/unit = $11,000 + ~$800 shipping = $11,800 total
10,000 units: $1.85/unit = $18,500 + ~$1,200 shipping = $19,700 total
15,000 units/month: $1.70/unit = $25,500 (scaling discount)

Lead Time: 6-7 weeks production + 3-4 weeks shipping = 9-11 weeks total

Material: 304 stainless steel (18/8) food-grade, BPA-free PP lids

Risk Assessment: VERY LOW

19 years in business with Disney FAMA certification
Works with major global brands

Next Steps:

Request quote with custom handle specifications
Order product samples ($150-200 for 5 samples)
Verify ISO9001 and FDA certificates on official databases
Discuss air freight option to meet 8-week timeline (+$0.40/unit)

#2: Nicety Stainless (Guangdong, China) - BEST PRICING & FLEXIBILITY

Contact: www.nicetystainless.com | Established 2005

Why Recommended:

Lowest MOQ: 24-200 pieces (excellent for testing)
Best pricing: $1.75/unit at 10k quantity (12.5% below target)
4,500 containers/day production capacity

Pricing:

10,000 units: $1.75/unit = $17,500 + shipping

Lead Time: 5-6 weeks production + 3-4 weeks shipping = 8-10 weeks

Risk Assessment: LOW-MEDIUM

ISO9001 needs verification before commitment

Cost-Benefit Analysis (Including Tariffs)

Total Landed Cost Comparison (10,000 units)

Supplier	Unit Price	Shipping	Tariffs (25%)	Inspection	Total Cost	Per Unit
Nicety (CN)	$17,500	$1,200	$4,675	$350	$23,725	$2.37
Aohea (CN)	$18,500	$1,200	$4,925	$350	$24,975	$2.50
Sharpsville (USA)	$45,000	$500	$0	$0	$45,500	$4.55

Note: Current tariffs on Chinese stainless steel products are ~25%. Without tariffs, Nicety achieves $1.91/unit landed.

Annual Cost at Scale (15,000 units/month = 180,000/year)

Supplier	Annual Cost (w/ tariffs)	Annual Savings vs USA
Nicety	$427,050	$491,950
Aohea	$449,550	$469,450
Sharpsville USA	$819,000	Baseline

Risk Mitigation Strategy

Recommended: Dual-Sourcing with Phased Qualification

Phase 1: Order samples from Nicety, Aohea, KingStar ($500-800 total)
Phase 2: Primary supplier: 5,000 units with third-party inspection
Phase 3: Primary (70%) + Secondary (30%) for supply chain resilience

Emergency Backup: Qualify Sharpsville as domestic emergency supplier (higher cost but 2-week lead time)

Implementation Timeline

Week 1-2: Send RFQs, request/verify certificates
Week 3-4: Receive samples, conduct quality tests
Week 5-6: Contract negotiation, pay tooling deposit
Week 12-13: Production complete, third-party inspection
Week 16-17: Customs clearance, final delivery

To Meet 8-Week Requirement: Use air freight (+$0.40/unit) or accept stock handle designs initially

Due Diligence Checklist

Certification Verification (CRITICAL):

Request ISO9001 certificate (verify on ISO.org database)
Verify FDA compliance documentation (21 CFR 177.2600)
Confirm 304 stainless steel material certificates (mill test certificates)

Quality Control:

Third-party inspection before shipment ($200-400 via SGS/Bureau Veritas)
Test handle attachment strength (25+ lbs pull test)
Conduct 50+ dishwasher cycle durability test

Payment Protection:

Use Trade Assurance (Alibaba) or escrow for first order
Payment terms: 30% deposit, 70% after pre-shipment inspection