Consumer Group Pallet Pathogen Tests Prompt Urging of FDA Regulation
June 21, 2010
Washington, DC – With its test results showing up to 10 percent of wood pallets testing positive for pathogens, the National Consumers League (NCL) is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set minimum sanitary and safety standards for the “unregulated but crucial” pallets that are used to transport food throughout the United States.
Tylenol, Motrin Recall for Unusual Odor
Friday, January 15, 2010
A recall of several over-the-counter pain relievers including Tylenol, Benadryl, and Motrin has been announced because of complaints of a mildew or musty odor.
... some consumers had complained about stomach problems. A chemical substance called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) is applied to wood pallets and the chemical breakdown was transferred to packaging materials...
..."In addition to the product recall, McNeil Consumer Healthcare is continuing its investigation into the issue and is taking further actions that include ceasing shipment of products produced using materials shipped on these wood pallets and requiring suppliers who ship materials to our plants to discontinue the use of these pallets."...
View the Official Recall Here: http://www.fda.gov Full articles: http://money.cnn.com http://www.injuryboard.com http://news.yahoo.com
In the United States there are nearly 2 billion wooden pallets used each year!!!
This results in more than 6 million tons of wood pallets being dumped into municipal landfills every year, approaching 5% of the TOTAL contribution to solid waste in landfills in the USA!
These pallets require destruction of well over 1 million acres of hardwood forests that will take up to 40 years to replace . . . and this is happening every single year!!
Even though disposal costs penalties of $1.50 are being charged by many landfills, the environmental damage goes on and on!
The time has come to apply new technology to solving this worldwide environmental problem! AIRDEX INTERNATIONAL, INC. has a wonderful new alternative as presented in the new super-lightweight, 100% recyclable pallet available now.
Wood Pallet Fire Concerns
Wood pallets are an extreme fire hazard when they are stored en masse. Photos from a 2008 California fire.
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April 28, 2008, South Los Angeles. The fire broke out about 2 p.m. and has spread rapidly through a factory that makes wooden pallets, sending thick plumes of black smoke that are visible across the L.A. Basin, reports KCAL-TV. The blaze swept through a large yard containing stacks of pallets and has now engulfed some nearby buildings and is threatening power lines. source: latimesblogs.latimes.com/
New Wood Packaging Export Regulations
Governments around the world are increasingly restricting the use of all forms of wood packaging, including pallets, crates, and skids. These restrictions are intended to stop the introduction of foreign pests and have created an expensive and complex scenario of interpretations of regulations, compliance methods and documentation procedures for exporters. They combine to create new risks to the exporter, ranging from total shipment rejections to expensive (perhaps product damaging) delays in the shipping process.
Beginning in October of 2001, the European Union (EU) has implemented emergency requirements to prevent the spread of wood-carried, environmentally harmful pests into Europe. These restrictions focus on coniferous, non-manufactured wood packaging, including pallets, crates and dunnage exported from the United States, Canada, Japan and China. All such packaging must carry proof of appropriate heat and/or chemical treatment on each board!
Similarly Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines have also tightened restrictions on importation of wood packaging as evidence of “dangerous wood hitch-hikers” and their consequential environmental damage is becoming increasingly evident.
Impact on Exporters
The commercial and operational impacts of these standards are certain to increase the cost of wood pallets (as much as $8 or more per unit, not including administration) and packaging for international shipments. New and additional paperwork is a certainty for everyone involved, adding another level of cost and risk to the exporting process. New product classifications carrying new testing and related certifications can be anticipated.
In March 2002 the International Plant Protection Organization (IPPO), which is a division of the United Nations, implemented a global standard governing all non-manufactured wood packaging (both coniferous and non-coniferous), and it will be implemented over a 1-2 year timeframe. Actual implementation will be left to the individual country, creating more uncertainty and risk for exporters, as interpretation and consequential actions at national authority levels relating to the standard will undoubtedly be “non-standard” for some time.
The standard requires solid wood packaging (SWP) to be treated and marked. Treatment methods include heat treatment, chemical pressure impregnation and fumigation with methyl bromide. The international standard sets specific treatment requirements. For example, heat-treated lumber/packaging must be heated at the core to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. This can be achieved by using a dry kiln or any other approved heat treatment chamber.
In some cases, fumigation, chemical pressure impregnation or other treatment methods will be allowed, as long as the importing country approves. However, experts stress that fumigation will become the exception, not the rule. The primary chemical used in fumigation is methyl bromide, which has often been banned because it is an ozone depleting substance.
Alternatives for Exporters
Until now, the cost of most plastic pallets was still higher than wood pallets, even considering the treatment and certification costs. However the Use Cost, when incorporating the risk of returned, delayed, damaged, or destroyed shipments, cannot be overcome by any price advantage of any pallet.
Utilizing new technology, the AIRDEX Pallet uses no wood product components and offers the ideal combination of weight, strength, and cost in Export and Air Freight pallet applications. The AIRDEX Pallet is the ". . .world's lightest pallet!™" It will not harbor any form of pest or contamination due to its EPA/FDA/Medical Certified fully wrapped HIPS coating and its EPS foam core material. It is the world’s only insulated pallet, providing temperature-sensitive products a cool ride. And due to the impeccable shock absorption characteristics of EPS foam, it also offers the softest ride in the industry.
