Exporting food products and need pallets that won’t fail inspection

[Niamh]

We nearly lost a whole shipment of dates to Saudi last month because the inspector took one look at our wooden pallets and found traces of mold between the slats, proper nightmare that cost us a delay penalty and a very awkward conversation with the buyer. Our forwarder suggested switching to something non porous and easy to wash down so I’ve been reading up on the 5 runner flat hygienic pallet with steel bars that’s apparently built for exactly this kind of headache. The closed deck design seems like a no brainer for keeping gunk out but I’m wondering how the steel reinforcement holds up when the pallets are sitting in a container in Jeddah port where the heat inside must hit 60 degrees easily. Also does anyone know if these things are ISPM 15 exempt by default since they’re plastic and steel or do you still need some kind of certificate to wave in front of customs? Would rather not repeat the mold incident if I can help it.

[Ezekiel]

Mold between the slats is the classic wood pallet problem, so switching to plastic makes sense. Before you commit, ask the supplier for a food contact or hygiene compliance document for that exact pallet, not just a “hygienic” label. Customs and buyers tend to want paper, not promises.

[Felix]

Ouch, a delay penalty plus an awkward buyer call is a rough month. Dates are a tough product to get stuck on, so good on you for acting fast. Hope the next shipment clears without any drama.

[Ferguson]

Shipped produce out of Jebel Ali for years and we moved to plastic after a similar rejection. Containers do get properly hot, but we never had warping on closed deck pallets that were stored flat. Just don’t stack them loaded for weeks on end in the sun before the container is even sealed.

[Fitzroy]

ISPM 15 only applies to wood packaging, so plastic and steel generally fall outside it, but confirm with your forwarder and the Saudi destination rules in case they ask for a declaration. On the heat side, check the max operating temperature of the plastic and the load rating at elevated temps, because static and dynamic capacity can drop when it’s hot. Also ask whether the steel bars are galvanised, since port humidity will chew through bare steel.

[Francis]

Is the buyer in Saudi asking for a specific pallet standard, or was it just the inspector’s call on the day? And how are you washing and storing them between shipments, since that matters as much as the pallet itself? Also what’s the loaded weight per pallet, as that decides if the steel bars are needed.