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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
A feeding tube bag is the container, usually sold with attached tubing, that holds liquid nutrition for delivery through an enteral feeding tube. In US device records it is a single-use accessory family; the records in the openFDA device database carry FDA product codes such as PIF or KNT (class 2 under 21 CFR 876.5980). Buyers and clinic staff who need to tell gravity sets from pump sets, read the capacity and connector in a product record, or avoid a mismatched connection can use the tables below.
Who uses it: people who receive tube feeding, their caregivers, clinic and home-care staff who stock supplies, and students learning enteral devices.
What a feeding tube bag is
In the Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) as listed in FDA device records, an enteral feeding bag/bottle is an empty pouch or bottle of plastic or glass intended to contain a fluid of nutrients for administration to a patient through an enteral tube that gives direct access to the stomach, duodenum or jejunum. The same definition states it is not intended for intravenous (IV) administration. That definition covers the empty bag or bottle only; it excludes associated items such as a clamp or spike, which belong to the feeding set. A feeding bag is therefore not an IV bag: see gravity tubing for IV sets and what a feeding tube is for the tube the bag connects to.
How it is built: bag, set and connector
Records in FDA’s openFDA device database (checked 2026-10-30) describe two product shapes. Some are a bag sold with an attached administration set, for example the AMSure Enteral Feeding Bag with Attached Gravity Set or Attached Pump Set. Others are a bag and set marketed with an EnFit connector, for example the ZEVEX Infinity 500 mL Feeding Bag Set with EnFit Connector. Records for the attached-set kits use the GMDN term “enteral feeding kit, adult/paediatric”, defined as tubing and other materials that administer nutrient liquids by means of gravity or an enteral pump.
All 34 feeding-bag records returned by the database search are flagged single-use.
Types and variants in FDA records
| Type | Example record (openFDA, 2026-10-30) | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Gravity bag and set | ZEVEX Enteral Gravity Feeding Bag with EnFit Connector; AMSure Enteral Feeding Bag with Attached Gravity Set | Named for gravity delivery |
| Pump bag and set | ZEVEX Infinity 500 mL Feeding Bag Set with EnFit Connector; AMSure Enteral Feeding Bag with Attached Pump Set | Named for use with an enteral pump |
| Small-volume bag and set | ZEVEX Infinity Small Volume Enteral Feeding Bag and Set with EnFit Connector | Smaller container than the 500 mL and 1200 mL sets; a 100 mL set is also listed |
| Sterile and non-sterile versions | AMSure Enteral Feeding Bag with Attached Pump Set, listed in both sterile and non-sterile versions | Sterility is a labeled attribute of the specific record |
Sizes that appear in the records
| Capacity in product name | Record |
|---|---|
| 100 mL | ZEVEX Infinity 100 mL Feeding Bag Set with EnFit Connector (INF0100-E) |
| 500 mL | ZEVEX Infinity 500 mL Feeding Bag Set with EnFit Connector (INF0500-A) |
| 1200 mL | ZEVEX Infinity 1200 mL Feeding Bag and Set with EnFit Connector (INF1200-A); ZEVEX GR 1200 mL Feeding Bag Set with EnFit Connector (GR1200-E); Enteral 1200 mL Gravity Feeding Bag (GR1200) |
The connector: why a bag must match the tube
FDA recognizes the ISO 80369 series of small-bore connector standards, formally published in July 2016, so that connectors for unrelated systems are incompatible and cannot be accidentally linked. On February 11, 2015 FDA published final guidance on small-bore connectors used in enteral applications, aimed at reducing misconnections. FDA’s page (checked 2026-10-30) also records feedback from home tube-feeding patients about the new enteral connector design: reduced ability of some home-blenderized foods to pass through smaller bore sizes, cleaning difficulties, and challenges operating the twist-and-lock mechanism. In FDA’s product classification, related enteral accessories have their own product codes, such as enteral syringes with enteral-specific connectors; see what a syringe is.
How to choose
Two criteria are supported by the FDA and GMDN records. First, the connector is the one the tube and set are labeled for: an EnFit-labeled bag set is built to the enteral connector design above. Second, the delivery method in the product name, gravity or pump, shows which kind of set it is; a pump set is the type named for use with an enteral pump (see infusion pumps); the instructions for use of the pump and set are the place to confirm they work together. For wider supply planning see the infusion supplies and pump selection guide.
Safe use and handling basics
Follow the instructions for use that come with the specific bag and set, and the care team’s instructions for the person being fed. Records label these products single-use, so cleaning and reuse questions are answered by the manufacturer’s instructions and the person’s clinician, not by general advice. Related reading: what a nasogastric tube is.
Common mistakes
- Treating it as an IV bag. The GMDN definition limits the feeding bag to enteral tubes and states it is not for intravenous use. FDA’s connector pages exist because tubing and Luer misconnections occur.
- Mixing connector designs. The set’s labeled connector is meant to match the tube and any enteral syringe used with it.
- Assuming gravity and pump sets are interchangeable. The records name them separately.
FAQ
What are feeding bags for G-tube?
They are enteral feeding bags: containers for liquid nutrition delivered through an enteral tube that gives direct access to the stomach, duodenum or jejunum, usually sold with an attached administration set for gravity or pump delivery.
Is a feeding tube bag the same as an IV bag?
No. The GMDN definition of an enteral feeding bag states it is not intended for intravenous use.
How is a feeding bag regulated in the US?
The records carry FDA product codes such as PIF, KNT or PRM (enteral administration kit), which are class 2 under 21 CFR 876.5980 (gastrointestinal tube and accessories). One small-volume set record (INF0100) is coded LZH, enteral infusion pump, which falls under a different regulation (21 CFR 880.5725).
Sources
- openFDA, device UDI database, feeding bag records (ZEVEX and AMSino), checked 2026-10-30.
- openFDA, device classification database (product codes PIF, KNT, PRM, LZH), checked 2026-10-30.
- FDA, FDA Activities: Medical Device Connectors, checked 2026-10-30.
- 21 CFR 876.5980, Gastrointestinal tube and accessories, via Cornell LII, checked 2026-10-30.
