last word
The last WORD
Wooden vs. plastic pallets Which is the best for the logistics driven food industry?
By Jim Hardisty
Incidents where food companies are forced to recall contaminated products puts pallets in the spotlight. Pallets play a vitally important role in the food industry, transporting virtually all products from manufacturers to wholesalers and retailers. Which ones you choose can definitely affect product safety.
Jim Hardisty is the Managing Director of
Goplasticpallets.com.
O
ver in the United States, the safety of wooden pallets for transporting food was
recently questioned by the National Consumers League following an examination in which wooden pallets tested positive for foodborne pathogens, including E. coli and Listeria. In May 2010, the National Consumers League examined 140 wooden and plastic pallets stored behind grocery stores. Approximately 33 percent of the wooden pallets showed signs of unsanitary conditions where bacteria could easily grow, 10 percent tested positive for e. coli, which can cause food poisoning, and 2.9 percent tested positive for the potentially deadly bug, listeria.
So does this spell the extinction of the humble wooden pallet, and what alternatives are there? Today in Europe, there are
approximately half a billion pallets in circulation every year, with 45 million of those in circulation in the UK. The wooden pallet remains dominant, accounting for about 90 per cent of these pallets. Plastic pallets currently make up the other 10 per cent, but with the threat of wooden pallet contamination, this could be set to change.
My advice to companies in the food sector is simple – put hygiene first and go plastic. If you are using
wooden pallets out of habit, perhaps now is the time to re- evaluate your supply chain and consider a safer and more hygienic alternative - hygienic plastic pallets. Hygienic plastic pallets are not new to the market. We introduced our first hygienic pallet to our range in 1995. Since then, we have been working closely with IPS, the Belgian pallet manufacturer, to enhance the pallet to achieve the optimum hygiene standards. Of course, all plastic pallets are ‘hygienic’ when compared to traditional wooden pallets, but for transporting food, there are many advantages. Plastic pallets are made from the highest quality food grade virgin or recycled materials and comply with EU safety legislation. They have totally smooth sealed surfaces, unlike wooden pallets, which are susceptible to cross-contamination issues caused by mould and dust. Plastic pallets can be easily cleaned manually or with an automated system, as they do not absorb moisture - even under the most adverse conditions - and are tolerant of weak acids and alkalis. There are no nails, sharp edges or splinters and no risk of loose component parts breaking free under manual lifting conditions and causing injury to operatives. If concerns over cost have been stopping you from switching from wooden pallets to plastic, it might surprise you to learn that in a normal handling and loading scenario, plastic pallets have a life span often exceeding ten years – up to 10 times longer than a wooden pallet. Although the initial investment in plastic pallets is higher, their extended working life makes them an excellent investment for the future. ■
Goplasticpallets.com was established in 2001 and is a division of All Pallets Ltd. Since its inception,
Goplasticpallets.com has fast become the UK’s leading independent supplier of plastic pallets and, through sister company
Goplasticboxes.com, now offers an extensive range of plastic containers, crates and trays. Coordinated from its base in Eastbourne, East Sussex, the company is the sole UK distributor of IPS pallets, manufactured in Belgium, and Q-Pall pallets, manufactured in the Netherlands, and has close links with a number of other plastic pallet and container
manufacturers across Europe and Asia.
For more information, call 01323 744057 or visit
www.goplasticpallets.com
FMCG News 33
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