Lock & Lock · Food Storage Containers
LocknLock Color Mates 20-Piece Food Storage Container and Organization Set
Lower PFAS concern; standard plastic food storage without known Teflon-family coating coatings, but brand offers no transparency.
Lock & Lock's Color Mates set uses polypropylene containers and silicone lids, materials not inherently associated with PFAS. However, the brand makes no public statement about PFAS avoidance or third-party testing.
Shop Lock & Lock on Amazon →Material
Polypropylene (PP) plastic containers with silicone lids
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
LocknLock Color Mates containers are polypropylene (PP, #5 plastic) with silicone lids. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic that does not leach BPA or phthalates under normal conditions and is microwave-safe up to its melting point (around 165°C/330°F). Silicone lids are chemically inert and do not off-gas volatile compounds at typical food storage temperatures. This material combination is among the safer choices for food contact plastics in the mainstream market.
The brand's record and disclosure
Lock & Lock is a South Korean brand with decades of market presence in food storage. The company does not publish detailed safety certifications, testing reports, or hazard disclosures on its website or packaging that are publicly available. No major safety recalls specific to leaching or migration have been established for this product line in regulatory databases. The brand's silence on PFAS, BPA, and material sourcing reflects a broader lack of transparency typical of many mid-tier food storage manufacturers, but does not indicate a known problem.
How it compares in its category
Polypropylene containers occupy the middle ground of food storage safety: safer than older melamine or uncoated aluminum, comparable to borosilicate glass in chemical stability, but not as chemically inert as glass or stainless steel. LocknLock's sealed design and silicone gaskets are well-regarded for freshness retention and are standard in the category. Similar products from Rubbermaid, Sistema, and Tupperware follow identical material chemistry and carry no better documented safety profiles.
If you buy it
Do not use in conventional ovens or on stovetops; polypropylene softens above 100°C. Microwave heating is acceptable but keep food and container below 80°C to avoid polymer stress. Replace containers after visible cracking, cloudiness, or warping, which signals material degradation and increased leaching risk. Hand wash or use gentle machine cycles; dishwashers can degrade silicone gaskets over time. Store away from direct sunlight and strong odors, which can cause plastic to absorb and retain smells.
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 / Bisphenol A and structurally similar compounds
Polypropylene does not use BPA or BPS in its polymer backbone. No published evidence of BPA contamination in LocknLock products. This hazard is not a concern for PP-based containers.
Phthalate plasticizers
Polypropylene is a rigid plastic that does not require phthalate plasticizers for flexibility. Silicone lids may contain trace plasticizers but are not a significant migration route at ambient storage temperatures.
Microplastic shedding and leaching when heated
Polypropylene can begin to break down above 100°C with mechanical stress (scratching, repeated heating cycles). Visible degradation increases microscopic particle release into food. Risk is low under proper use but increases over time if containers are abused or heated excessively.
Silicone lid degradation and volatilization
Silicone gaskets can degrade, harden, or crack after prolonged contact with oils, acidic foods, or repeated dishwasher cycles. Compromised seals may fail to prevent food oxidation or odor absorption but do not release toxic compounds into food.
Mold and bacterial growth in poorly maintained seals
Food storage container sets with silicone gaskets are prone to mold growth if gaskets are not thoroughly dried after washing or if containers are sealed while damp. This is a hygiene issue rather than a chemical hazard and is preventable with proper care.
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.