Operating certified plants with HACCP, GMP, or ISO 22000 standards, pharmaceutical cleanrooms, or cold rooms where wood becomes a contamination focus, demands a closed-surface plastic pallet, without corners that accumulate residue and with chemical resistance to industrial disinfectants. This hygienic plastic pallet —also called a sanitary pallet, food-grade pallet, or food-grade platform— is manufactured by Cargobo from virgin injected HDPE with a smooth or controlled grid surface, in American (120×100 cm) and European (120×80 cm) formats, designed for food processors, pharmaceutical laboratories, and environments with continuous sanitary audits.
Key Benefits
- Virgin food-grade HDPE: the material is formulated with inert virgin resins that do not release compounds into the product, a condition required by FDA, CE, and equivalent standards for indirect food contact.
- Closed surface or controlled grid: the geometry limits points of organic residue accumulation and allows complete drainage after washing, a critical condition for HACCP audits where pallets are inspected at the end of the shift.
- Chemical resistance to industrial disinfectants: withstands washing with pressure water, steam at 80-90°C, and common disinfectant solutions (diluted chlorine, peracetic acid, quaternary ammoniums) without material degradation.
- ISPM-15 exempt for export: the plastic condition eliminates the need for methyl bromide fumigation or heat treatment, avoiding customs delays in exporting food to regulated markets.
- Constant tare weight for safety: unlike wood, which absorbs moisture and alters tare, HDPE maintains stable weight, a key condition for batch traceability and precise in-line weighing.
Applications and Typical Uses
- Food and beverage processors with HACCP or ISO 22000 certification.
- Pharmaceutical laboratories, hospitals, and cleanrooms with GMP or equivalent standards.
- Cold storage rooms and continuous cold chain where wood is contaminated by condensation.
- Export of food and pharmaceutical products to the USA, Europe, and markets with strict sanitary audits.
Quality and Durability
An economical hygienic pallet fails on two counts: the HDPE is recycled or low-grade (which does not certify as food-grade and disqualifies the pallet in an audit) and the surface has corners or grooves where residues accumulate. Cargobo works with virgin HDPE and an easy-to-wash geometry, which separates an auditable sanitary pallet from a generic plastic pallet that passes the first order but fails the first sanitary inspection.
Yes. Being 100% plastic, it is exempt from the ISPM-15 (NIMF-15) standard that regulates wood packaging against plant pests. It does not require methyl bromide fumigation, heat treatment or IPPC marking for export to the USA, Europe, Asia and regulated markets. This eliminates customs holds for phytosanitary reasons, treatment costs and the risk of shipment rejection due to defective marking — advantages that compound for exporters with continuous pallet flow.
Yes. HDPE is impermeable, does not absorb humidity and does not change weight with condensation or washing — the ideal condition for cold rooms with defrost cycles, cutting rooms, fish processing plants and any environment with permanent humidity. The normal operating temperature range of HDPE goes from freezing temperatures (typically -25°C) to moderate industrial heat (around 60-70°C), covering the usual cold-chain and food-processing scenarios. Structural integrity is maintained for years across these ranges.
In sanitary environments the difference is structural. Wood absorbs moisture and acts as a substrate for fungi, bacteria and pests (HACCP standards require active control); HDPE is inert and does not allow proliferation. Wood releases splinters and nails that contaminate product or cut the operator; plastic has a continuous surface. Wood cannot be deeply sanitized (it rots); plastic accepts steam and disinfectant washing. In a sanitary audit, the difference decides whether the plant passes.
Yes. The entries are sized to logistics standards (American and European), compatible with fork-truck forklifts, manual hydraulic pallet jacks, electric pallet jacks and most material-handling equipment on the market. For manual pallet jack entry, it's worth checking that the equipment's forks fit without forcing (most standard pallet jacks slide in without trouble). In cold-room operations, check that the floor's roughness does not affect fork sliding under the pallet.
It accepts pressure washing (pressure washer up to 80-100 bar), industrial steam, the usual food-sector disinfectant solutions (diluted chlorine, peracetic acid, quaternary ammonium at 1-2%) and alkaline detergents. It should be drained well to remove residual water before reusing in a clean zone. Avoid aggressive organic solvents (acetone, toluene) that can affect the HDPE surface. For an industry under sanitary audit, it's worth documenting the wash cycle in the plant's HACCP plan.
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| Type | Hygienic |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 120 x 100 x 15 cm (48 x 40 x 6 in) |
| Color | Blue |
| Static load | 6000 kg (13230 lb) |
| Dynamic load | 1800 kg (4000 lb) |
| Rack load | 1500 kg (3300 lb) |
| Materials | Virgin plastic (HDPE/PP) |
| Entry type | 4 way |
| Weight | 23.8 kg (52.5 lb) |
| UV protection | Yes (high) |
| Pallet: Width | 120.0 cm (47.24 in) |
|---|---|
| Pallet: Height | 15.0 cm (5.91 in) |
| Pallet: Depth | 120.0 cm (47.24 in) |
| Pallet: Weight | 23.8 kg |
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