Silicone or plastic food tube: dog paste or a sauce
Updated: 23 October 2026
You are looking at soft tubes on amazon.co.uk, and one material is silicone and the other is polyethylene. A silicone or plastic food tube is not the same object under UK food-contact law, and 'food grade' or 'BPA-free' does not close that gap. This page is the material choice for AKONE and Qiwenr in silicone, and Coghlan's in polyethylene. Prices sit on the [food tube comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/food-tube). Hand luggage stays in the [buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/food-tube/sub/food-tube-buying-guide). Paste thickness is [how to fill a food tube](/hub/diy-supplies/food-tube/sub/food-tube-how-to-fill).
You are looking at soft tubes on amazon.co.uk, and one material is silicone and the other is polyethylene.
You are looking at soft tubes on amazon.co.uk, and one material is silicone and the other is polyethylene. A silicone or plastic food tube is not the same object under UK food-contact law, and 'food grade' or 'BPA-free' does not close that gap. This page is the material choice for AKONE and Qiwenr in silicone, and Coghlan's in polyethylene. Prices sit on the food tube comparison. Hand luggage stays in the buying guide. Paste thickness is how to fill a food tube.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Material | Stated capacity | Dishwasher line | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  AKONE AKONE silicone dog food tube, pack of 3 | Silicone | 90 ml | Yes | 8.6 | about £9.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Qiwenr Qiwenr silicone dog food tube, pack of 4 | Silicone | 60 ml | Not printed | 8.0 | about £9.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Coghlan's Coghlan's polyethylene squeeze tubes, pack of 2 | Polyethylene | 226 ml (title says 8 oz) | Yes | 7.8 | about £10.91 | View offer |
On this page
The law treats them differently
Assimilated Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Article 2, covers plastics that touch food and names silicones as outside that regulation. Coghlan's polyethylene sits inside the plastics regime. AKONE and Qiwenr, sold as silicone, do not. That split is a legal boundary, not a star rating.
Both materials still have to be safe in normal use under assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004. Article 15 asks for a food-contact indication, special instructions, and a responsible name and address. A 'food grade' bullet is not that label. GOV.UK says the EU bisphenol A restriction applies in Northern Ireland and does not currently apply in Great Britain. Qiwenr prints no BPA line. The claim is not a reason to call polyethylene UK-approved.
What you can actually buy here
AKONE, B0CYL37RR3, is three silicone tubes at £9.99, stated 90 ml, 4.3 from 62. It says dishwasher safe and not microwaveable. The capture prints two sizes that do not match: 13.5 × 5.3 × 3.5 cm and 15 × 10 × 2.5 cm. Written reviews are from Germany and Spain, not British opinion.
Qiwenr, B0F8VHBQRZ, is four silicone tubes at the same £9.99, stated 60 ml, 4.0 from 1. There is no dishwasher line, so silence is not a yes. The only review is from Canada and calls them lotion bottles.
Coghlan's, B0FGYX1VMY, is two polyethylene tubes at £10.91, 3.9 from 39. The spec lines say 226 millilitres, with a screw top and roll-up clips. It says dishwasher safe and not microwaveable. Reviews from the United States and Canada mention peanut butter and sauces.
Which paste, which tube
The outlet decides more than the word silicone. AKONE's German reviews praise a thin liver-sausage paste. They also say the hole is too small for lumps, the body is too soft, and a hard squeeze can blow the front off. Qiwenr's 60 ml tubes have no dog-food comment. Coghlan's reviews talk about peanut butter and sauces. One says the tube does not keep air out. Others call the clip stiff or likely to break. Washing follows the printed line, not the material name. Do not put Qiwenr in a dishwasher because the other silicone pack says yes.
When to pick which
Choose AKONE when the job is a 90 ml dog reward and you accept German and Spanish texts and a small outlet. Stated 90 ml sits under the 100 ml line GOV.UK applies to pastes at most UK airports. Silicone sitting outside the plastics regulation does not make this pack safer.
Choose Coghlan's when the job is peanut butter or a sauce and you accept 226 ml, a stiff clip, and FDA and Prop 65 language. That volume fails the usual liquids rule even when part full. Some airports allow up to 2 litres. Choose Qiwenr only if a 60 ml four-pack at £9.99 and one Canadian rating is enough. Who each listing fits is on which listing fits a walk or a sauce.
Common questions
Which material is for dog paste?
In this set the dog-food listings are silicone: AKONE at a stated 90 ml and Qiwenr at a stated 60 ml. AKONE has written comments on thin liver sausage, from Germany and Spain. Qiwenr's only review calls the tubes lotion bottles and does not mention a dog. Silicone is the material sold for that job here. It is not a UK certificate, and chunky wet food still will not suit the small AKONE outlet.
Which material is for peanut butter and sauces?
Coghlan's polyethylene pack is the condiment listing. US and Canadian texts mention peanut butter, sauces, a clip that is stiff or that breaks, and a tube that does not keep air out. The title says 8 oz and the spec lines say 227 g and 226 ml. Use it for a sauce if you accept that volume and that compliance language. It is the wrong pocket tube if you wanted a reward under 100 ml.
Does silicone have to be on the plastic register?
No. Article 2 of Regulation 10/2011 puts plastics in scope and names silicones as out of scope. Silicone still has to be safe in normal use under Regulation 1935/2004. Being off the plastic register is not a free pass, and a 'food grade' bullet is not a declaration of compliance.
Why does Coghlan's mention FDA?
The bullets say the tubes comply with FDA and Prop 65. Those are United States references. The capture has no UK declaration, and the written reviews are from the United States and Canada. FDA language does not turn polyethylene into a UK approval. Ask the supplier if you need a declaration.
Are both materials dishwasher safe?
AKONE and Coghlan's both say dishwasher safe and not microwaveable. Qiwenr, the other silicone pack, has no dishwasher line and no microwave line. The bullets say rinse with water. Do not copy AKONE's care line onto Qiwenr because both are silicone.
Does BPA-free settle the choice?
No. The EU restriction applies in Northern Ireland and does not currently apply in Great Britain. A domestic ban is intended and was not in force on the GOV.UK guide used here. AKONE says no BPA, Coghlan's says BPA-free beside US references, and Qiwenr prints no BPA line. The claim does not choose the material.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.
- Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Article 2 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Food contact materials authorisation guidance (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- BPA in food contact materials: EU rules and UK implications (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Hand luggage: liquids (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Raw pet food (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Kennel Club: motivate and praise your dog (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- AKONE listing on amazon.co.uk (retrieved 22.10.2026)