Why Food and Pharma Industries Prefer Plastic Pallets Over Timber

Hygiene, product safety, and operational efficiency are just some of the reasons why a plastic pallet is preferred for food and pharmaceuticals over timber pallets. Below is a deeper look:

Hygiene

• Plastic’s non-porous surface prevents absorption of liquids, food particles, and chemicals, halting the growth of bacteria, mould, and fungi. 
• A non-porous surface also makes them easily cleanable, crucial for meeting strict industry regulations like HACCP and GMP.

Enhanced product protection

Plastic pallets eliminate risks from splinters, nails, or broken wood that can damage packaging, contaminate products, or injure workers, that can happen with timber pallets. 

Due to the production process, the consistent dimensions of a plastic pallet ensure smooth operation in automated systems, preventing costly jams.

Compliance

Plastic pallets are exempt from ISPM 15 international shipping regulations (required for timber), simplifying global logistics. Many are also designed to meet FDA and GMP standards, vital for direct product contact environments.

Longevity

• Plastic pallets are significantly more durable, offering a longer lifespan and reducing replacement/repair costs. 
• They are also resistant to moisture, extreme temperatures, and UV rays, making them applicable for diverse storage conditions.

Environmental & cost benefits

• While potentially higher in initial cost, their extended lifespan, reduced maintenance, and exemption from treatments lead to lower long-term costs. 
• Being recyclable, they also support sustainability goals and their lighter weight can cut shipping expenses.

Can a recycled plastic pallet be used for food and pharma?

Absolutely, recycled plastic pallets have the potential to be used for food and pharmaceutical needs. However, it may not be suitable for every instance. A new plastic pallet will have better durability, resilience, and weight support.

Recycled plastic pallets also have the ease of cleaning available to a new plastic pallet, meaning it can stay sanitised and hygienic, making it applicable for food and pharma industries. 

Are wooden pallets less hygienic?

Wooden pallets are not the best option in situations where hygiene is a critical requirement. This is mostly due to the natural properties of timber, which we will explore below:

Natural porousness and absorbance

• Wood is a naturally porous material. This means it readily absorbs moisture, liquids, food residues, and chemical spills. 
• Once absorbed, these substances become trapped within the wood fibres, creating an ideal breeding ground for bacteria mould, and fungus. 
• It’s incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to thoroughly clean and sanitise a porous wooden surface once it’s been contaminated. 

Difficult to clean and sanitise

• The rough, uneven, and often splintered surface of wooden pallets makes effective cleaning a major challenge. 
• Cracks, crevices, and knots provide hiding spots for dirt, dust, and microorganisms that resist standard cleaning methods. 
• Even with rigorous washing, the absorbed contaminants can persist and re-emerge. Even submersion wouldn’t really help with this, due to the mentioned absorbance of wood. 

Infestations 

• Wood, is an organic material, and as a result, is highly susceptible to harbouring insects, larvae, and sometimes rodents. 
• These pests can introduce their own contaminants (feces, body parts) and act as carriers for spreading bacteria and diseases, posing a direct threat to product safety. 
• Wooden pallets often require costly and potentially hazardous fumigation treatments (like methyl bromide) for international shipping (ISPM 15).

Splintering and physical issues: 

• Wooden pallets are prone to splintering, breaking, and having loose nails or fasteners, especially with wear and tear. 
• The splinter fragments can fall into or onto products, contaminating them physically. Splinters can also tear packaging, exposing the contents to further contamination.

Chemical Absorption and Leaching: 

• If wooden pallets have been exposed to various chemicals (e.g., during previous shipments of non-food items, or from warehouse cleaning agents), they can absorb these substances. 
• Absorption creates a risk of chemical leaching, where these harmful chemicals can transfer to new products, leading to chemical contamination. 
• Similarly, wood can absorb strong odours from previous loads (e.g., fish, chemicals), which can then transfer to subsequent products, affecting their quality and consumer appeal.

Are there any laws that say you have to use plastic pallets?

Although there is no direct mandate, there are strong implied requirements that naturally make people opt for plastic pallets, particularly for food and pharma industries. 

Laws like the Food Safety Act 1990 (UK), General Food Law Regulation (EU), and regulations enforced by bodies like MHRA (UK) don’t typically name “plastic pallets.” Instead, they focus on outcomes like:

• All materials in contact with or near food/pharmaceuticals must not introduce contaminants (microbial, physical, chemical).
• Facilities, equipment, and handling materials must be easily cleaned and maintained to prevent pathogen growth.
• GMP guidelines, widely adopted in pharma and often parallelled in food processing, require strict control over manufacturing environments, including material handling. This emphasizes easy-to-clean surfaces, prevention of cross-contamination, and pest control.
• The HACCP system, mandatory in many food sectors, requires businesses to identify potential hazards and establish critical control points. Wooden pallets, with their inherent hygiene challenges, often become a “hazard” that’s difficult to control effectively, pushing companies toward plastic.
• While not a hygiene regulation per se, the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15) regulation, which requires heat treatment or fumigation for wooden packaging used in international trade to prevent pest spread, strongly incentivizes plastic pallets for global supply chains. Ignoring this specifically leads to delays, re-export, or destruction of shipments at borders.

In terms of outcomes for neglecting these guidelines, you can expect fines, penalties, stock contamination, and even loss of licenses and business operations, and much more depending on how the lack of plastic pallets has affected the stock in question. 

Plastic pallets for food and pharmaceutical