ICE Chips

Q.  I work in a warehouse, and once in a while I see material come in on a pallet that is labeled “for pesticide use only.” Where do these pallets come from, and how do they get into the food system?

A. On occasion, pallets marked “pesticide use only” with raw materials or finished products on them will show up somewhere along the food distribution chain. The main reason they are showing up is because people are not paying attention or do not understand the risks these pallets present. Some people justify using them because there is a slip sheet between the pallet and the bags of product on them. But this practice is not acceptable.

These pallets usually start their use life in the agricultural area. They are used to move agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, or other agro-chemicals in large quantities. The agro industry understands the need to label these pallets, but the concept sometimes gets lost in the distribution chain. These pallets can become repurposed somewhere along the supply chain either due to the cost of purchasing new pallets or the lack of availability. Less informed people will assume that since someone introduced them into the food chain they are acceptable and they end up in your warehouse.

If these pallets are spotted at your receiving dock, the materials should be immediately rejected and the shipper notified. The purchasing department also should become involved. To prevent the shipper from moving the rejected product to a new pallet, you should require the shipper to provide product with a different lot number.

If you discover these pallets in your warehouse, you are faced with a different set of issues. First, you have to recognize the failure of your own inbound inspection program. There are times when pallets are wrapped in a way that can cover the stencil; this requires awareness by all personnel handling product.

Once such a pallet is discovered, you need to assemble your food safety committee and determine next steps based on your company’s established policies. Depending on what the product is and how it is packaged, you may determine that most of it, except the bottom row of product, can be used. If it is in durable packaging, such as cans or boxes with an impervious liner, you may determine that the outer surface can be stripped or cleaned sufficiently to mitigate the risk. These are decisions that require considerable thought and facts to guide your decision. The easiest and most effective way to deal with this is to simply discard the suspect material.

The author is Head of Food Safety Education, AIB International. Do you have a question for Al St. Cyr? If so, e-mail him at astcyr@aibonline.org.