Lock & Lock · Food Storage Containers
Lock & Lock Color Mates 30-Piece Food Storage Container Set
Lower concern; basic plastic food storage with no known PFAS-prone features, but brand offers no transparency.
Lock & Lock Color Mates containers are made of polypropylene, a plastic not typically treated with PFAS coatings. Food-contact plastics like PP carry inherent low risk for PFAS migration. The brand provides no public statement on PFAS, which limits confidence, ideally they would disclose testing or certification.
Shop Lock & Lock on Amazon →Material
polypropylene (PP) plastic containers with silicone or rubber gaskets
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
food packaging is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Lock & Lock Color Mates are polypropylene (PP, #5 plastic) bodies with silicone or rubber gaskets. Polypropylene is a stable, heat-resistant plastic with low leaching risk under normal use conditions. The gaskets provide an airtight seal but are the most prone component to degradation over time, especially with repeated heating or acidic foods. This material combination is considered food-safe by FDA and is one of the lower-risk plastics for food contact.
The brand's record and disclosure
Lock & Lock is a South Korean manufacturer with decades in food storage; no major recalls or chemical controversies are publicly documented for this product line. The brand does not publicly disclose testing for BPA, BPS, or phthalates, and offers no transparency statements on chemical-free certification or third-party testing. Their silence on these matters is typical for mid-tier storage brands but falls short of premium transparency standards.
How it compares in its category
Polypropylene containers sit in the mainstream of food storage safety; they are safer than older polycarbonate (#7) and PVC (#3) products but offer less transparency than brands like Pyrex or Rubbermaid that publish test results. Lock & Lock's gasket design is industry-standard and reliable for short-term freshness but does not outperform or underperform comparable PP container sets. Price and durability are the primary differentiators, not chemical safety.
If you buy it
Avoid microwaving filled containers for extended periods; PP is stable to 212F/100C but prolonged heat can weaken seals. Replace gaskets every 2-3 years or sooner if they become discolored, brittle, or no longer seal tightly. Hand-wash rather than dishwasher when possible to extend gasket life. Store away from direct sunlight and strong solvents, which can degrade rubber over time.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
BPA and BPS (bisphenol compounds)
Polypropylene does not require BPA as a plasticizer; no reports of BPA or BPS contamination in Lock & Lock PP containers. However, brand provides no independent test data to confirm absence.
Phthalate plasticizers
PP inherently uses few phthalates compared to PVC or polyvinyl plastics. Silicone/rubber gaskets are the only components where phthalates could be used as softeners; no documented phthalate exposure from this brand or product line.
Microplastic shedding during heating
Repeated microwaving of polypropylene can cause surface stress and microscopic degradation over years. Risk increases if containers are older, have visible wear, or are heated to near-boiling repeatedly. Normal refrigerated storage poses minimal risk.
Gasket degradation and food contamination
Silicone and rubber gaskets in any food storage system can crack, discolor, or fail over 2-3 years of use. Degraded seals allow bacterial growth and odor retention; this is a functional maintenance issue, not a chemical toxicity risk, but affects food safety.
Lead or cadmium in coatings or dyes
Polypropylene containers do not require heavy-metal pigments if they are transparent or use simple non-toxic dyes. The Color Mates line has colored containers; no contamination reports exist for this brand, but independent testing is absent.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 72% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
Safer alternatives in Food Storage Containers
Caraway
Food Storage Set
Glass containers with plastic lids
Lower concern; glass + plastic lids with stated PFAS-free position, but no third-party verification of lid material.
⚠Risky category by default
Caraway
Home 9-Piece Mini Food Storage Set
Borosilicate glass containers with plastic lids
Lower-concern option; glass containers avoid PFAS coatings, but verify lid material before purchase.
⚠Risky category by default
Caraway
Cream 6.6-Cup Non-Stick Glass Food Storage Container with Lid
borosilicate glass with non-PFAS lid
Lower PFAS concern, glass container with stated non-PFAS lid, though third-party verification absent.
⚠Risky category by default
More food storage containers grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.