Are Heat Treated Pallets Reliable?

The ISPM regulations were introduced to ensure that any pallets being used for the shipment of products into the EU complied with the international phytosanitary standard which is commonly achieved through heat treatment. There has not been any requirement for the ISPM15 standard to be enforced in relation to the movement of pallets within Europe.

Heat Treated Pallets - Recent Developments

However, in recent months, discovery of the pine wood nematode in conifer wood products exported from Portugal has raised fresh concerns. It has been decided by the EU, that wood packaging material from Portugal should be ISPM15 compliant, but because of the lack of suitable infrastructure, this has been deferred until 31st December 2009.
There is currently no legal obligation to use ISPM15 compliant pallets for goods shipped into Portugal from other member states, however as controls in Portugal are to be tightened, we are now advising exporters in the UK to use treated and ISPM 15 marked pallets, to avoid any potential delays in delivering goods.

Heat Treated Pallets - The Way Forward

New recommendations are for every EU member state to carry out routine checks on all wood packaging material being imported from Portugal, even if the pallet originated in the UK. Without an ISPM15 stamp, these checks could delay the progress of a pallet once it arrives back in the UK.
It is being suggested that the European Commission is looking at plans to extend the use of ISPM15 to regulate wood packaging materials used between member states. Should this happen, all natural wood packaging and pallets will require to be treated prior to despatch to a different country. This will exert considerable pressure on pallet and packaging manufacturers, particularly in areas where there is insufficient capacity for heat treatment.
Companies like Whirlowdale, one of the UK’s leading pallet manufacturers, are well placed to meet the demand for heat treated pallets. With dedicated local facilities, carrying out the heat treatment process to ISPM15 standards, Whirlowdale’s customers are assured of top quality, compliant pallets, enabling the smooth movement of their exports – anywhere in the world.
For more information about Whirlowdale’s heat treatment process please contact us.

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