What is an FDA Pallet?

With food handling safety becoming an increasing concern, many of our food, beverage, and agricultural customers are requesting FDA plastic pallets.

Also: Was a Listeria outbreak caused by wood pallets?

A plastic FDA Pallet must be molded using virgin plastic resin and is most commonly blue in color.

Does The FDA Test Pallets?

No, the FDA does not test pallets and there is no FDA pallet testing facility.

What Is An FDA Approved Pallet?

What does a pallet need to do to receive FDA approval?

Well actually, the FDA does not approve pallets. They just provide guidelines / regulations to protect us.

If a pallet is manufactured following FDA guidelines, then it meets the FDA’s requirements and is considered to be an FDA approved pallet.

FDA Pallet Regulations

FDA Pallet Regulations specify that pallets must made using basic component materials approved for single and repeated use food contact surfaces in compliance with the FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION – FDA standard as set forth in Title 21 CFR 117.1630.

What Should I Do If My Pallets Need FDA Certification?

I need more reassurance or documentation if I buy FDA Pallets – what should I do?

One Way Solutions will gladly provide certification in the form of a statement that a specific pallet is constructed using 100% virgin polyethylene (HDPE), a basic component
material approved for single and repeated use with food contact surfaces in
compliance with the FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION – FDA standard as set forth
in Title 21 CFR 117.1630.

Why Blue FDA Pallets?

We don’t know for sure – but here are some theories:

• The blue color helps set the pallets apart in warehouse full of wood colored and black colored pallets.
• The FDA logo is sometimes blue.
• Blue is traditionally symbolic of purity (drinking water).

What we do know is that it’s exceedingly difficult to manufacture a recycled plastic pallet in any color other than black or a shade of grey. So Blue and other vibrant colors, are a mark of purity and provide a strong indication that virgin resin was used to produce a pallet.

Manufacturing FDA Pallets

The reason recycled plastic pallets are hard to produce in a blue color, is that recycled plastic raw materials are rarely separated by color; the stock materials are usually a mix of different colored plastic flakes resembling a bowl of Fruity Pebbles (or Flintstones vitamins – take your pick).

Recycled plastic pallet materials

In most cases, if no plastic colorant is added, you’ll end up with a black or grey pallet. Most pallet molders add carbon black to even out the finish and provide a consistent color. For this reason, it’s a solid bet that any pallet color other than black was made using virgin resin.

Plastic Pallet Trivia

Ready for some trivia? Good! Now that you’re learning plastic pallet rules, you should know when to break them.

Pro Tip: There are Black FDA Pallets and Grey FDA Pallets!

Extra Pro Tip: FDA pallets are made in Beige, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Grey, and Yellow – colors to suit all all tastes.

Virgin Resin Benefits

Why do FDA Plastic Pallets require virgin resin materials? Because purity is the key.

Virgin plastic resin provides transparency and can be traced to its source. It is clean and free of any contaminants, a crucial requirement for the food, beverage, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.

In contrast, the source of recycled plastic materials is a unknown or untracked, coming from sources as such as consumer milk jugs, industrial crates, chemical containers, packaging materials and thousands of others post-consumer products – including retired plastic pallets themselves!

Blue FDA Pallet

We Hope That Helps!

We hoped you enjoyed learning about FDA pallets.

We’d love to hear from you – please let us know how FDA pallets have helped you solve challenges for your business in the comments below.

Need Help Selecting An FDA Pallet?

Our Plastic Pallet Experts are happy to help you find the right plastic FDA Pallet and send you a quote that includes shipping costs.

Please contact us to find the perfect pallet at the best price.

About Robin Kiefer

Robin Spencer Kiefer connects customers with solutions and products. Robin is the Digital Marketing Manager of One Way Solutions.

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