Pallet Debate Still on Fire; Risk to Food Supply Now in Dispute

The following day, on Aug. 12, the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) released a statement in support of the FDA testing pallets for food safety.

“To aid this process, NWPCA is submitting several studies already conducted by the European food industry to meet the European Commission Hygiene Directive introduced in 2000,” the statement reads.

"The goal of the European Commission directive was to make a single hygiene policy effective from the farm to the table," says NWPCA President Bruce Scholnick. "The European food industry conducted a number of field and laboratory tests on wood and plastic pallets and found wood to be equal to, and in some cases superior to, plastic. Apparently, plastic is made up of minuscule honeycomb patterns that hold onto bacteria in a way that wood does not."

NWPCA also makes note of field tests conducted by the German Institute for Food Technology that compared wood and plastic pallets used in the meat, dairy, vegetable and bakery sectors. The institute found, NWPCA reports, "the overall bacterial count on commercial wooden pallets made from different types of wood was on average 15% lower than on plastic pallets."

The association also references a Nordic food industry study that conducted field tests on the survival of bacteria in the meat industry. That study was compared against those in German laboratory tests, according to NWCPA, which adds, “the overall conclusions were the same—bacteria didn't survive within the wood.”

"We are sharing these food industry studies with the appropriate FDA administrators and are encouraging them to replicate them," Scholnick says.

In addition to defending wood pallets, the NWCPA leader also is asking the FDA to investigate plastic pallets. "We are also asking that they [the FDA] include a safety test for deca-bromine chemical fire retardant, which is infused in the iGPS plastic pallets. In fact, according to the company's own lifecycle analysis, there are 3.4 pounds of deca in each iGPS pallet."

In April, the NWCPA posted an alert marked with a skull and crossbones on its Web site calling plastic pallets a “toxic platform.”

In his Aug. 12 statement, Scholnick continues: "After pallets are roughed up in the normal wear and tear of the material handling and warehouse system, those chemicals are bound to leach into the products they carry. The FDA needs to test the older plastic pallets to see how much deca dust is getting onto our food."

Scholnick quotes Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy and communications at the Environmental Working Group. Scholnick says Wiles wrote in a letter to the FDA that, "Deca is a neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen that persists in the environment and accumulates in human tissue."

Scholnick adds that Wiles followed up with a letter to U.S. grocery stores and supermarkets saying, "We are writing to ask that you determine whether or not you or your suppliers are currently using plastic pallets, and if so, we urge you to immediately stop the use of these pallets by you or your suppliers until proper FDA approvals are received."

According to Scholnick, Maine, Washington and, most recently, Oregon, have passed legislation banning the use of Deca for household goods.

“As for iGPS' request that FDA look at engineered wood, the agency might save itself time by examining California's policy, which is one of the most stringent in the world,” the statement from NWCPA continues. “At the request of NWPCA, the California Air Resources Board reviewed wood packaging industry practices and came to the conclusion that these products are not subject to any of the requirements of the airborne toxic control measure."

"Plastic pallet companies are in a difficult position," Scholnick adds. "Without Deca, their products represent an extreme fire hazard; with it, they pose other risks. iGPS is in a difficult position, and they are responding by tossing around non-supportable claims and accusations.”

Visit the parties on each side of the issue: NWCPA and iGPS

MHM will continue to provide updates as they occur.