Watch Out for-- Pallets??

While not normally a topic that gets the blood racing, a real fight has broken out between the wood and plastic pallet industries on which method of shipping food is safer.

In a nutshell, a plastic pallet manufacturer is asking the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to launch a probe into allegations wood pallets pose a risk to the food supply. The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) claims to welcome the probe, saying it has studies done in Europe that exonerate wooden pallets from such charges. Over 1bn wood pallets are currently in use in the U.S. Among charges against the wooden variety are that:

1.) they allow the breeding and spread of diseases such as Listeria, E. coli and salmonella, and
2.) formaldehyde (used to prevent pest infestations like the tree-killing Asian longhorn beetle) is a known carcinogen that could leak onto any food coming in contact with the wood, or
3.) that said formaldehyde might be released in gaseous form during storage in areas where food is also present.

NWPCA has countered saying plastic pallets are composed of a honeycomb-like structure that can act as a breeding ground for diseases, and that the deca-bromine chemical fire retardant used in plastic pallets should be studied. Several U.S. states have had passed laws banning deca in household products as a potential health hazard. Industry analysts say the plastic pallet company is caught between its dependence on deca-bromine and its risk factors with consumers.

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