FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act)
Also called: Food Safety Modernization Act, Sanitary Transportation Rule, FSMA sanitary transport
FSMA is the US Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. Under its Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart O), pallets are transportation equipment and must be designed and maintained so they are suitable and adequately cleanable, and do not make food unsafe.
In depth: FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule: what it means for pallets
FSMA shifted US food safety rules toward prevention. The Sanitary Transportation rule, published by the FDA in April 2016, covers shippers, loaders, carriers and receivers of food.
What the rule says about pallets
The rule's definition of transportation equipment lists pallets alongside containers, bins and totes. Transportation equipment must be:
| Requirement | What it means for pallets |
|---|---|
| Designed to be suitable and adequately cleanable | Materials and construction that can be kept clean for the intended use |
| Maintained in sanitary condition | No contamination, pests, or damage that could make food unsafe |
| Covered by written procedures | Shippers set sanitary requirements for the equipment used |
The rule does not require a specific pallet material. Wood, plastic and other pallets can comply if they are suitable for the food and handled correctly.
Why it matters
Food shippers write pallet requirements into their FSMA procedures: clean, dry, free of mold, pests, debris and broken parts. Exposed food, washdown areas and cold chain often lead to hygienic plastic pallets or dedicated, inspected wood pallets. See the food-grade pallets guide.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
State the food type (packaged or exposed), cleaning method, moisture and mold requirements, and inspection criteria at receiving.
Common confusions
There is no FDA "approved pallet". Claims of FDA compliance for plastic pallets usually refer to the resin meeting food-contact regulations, which is a separate question from FSMA.
Related
- StandardsFSMA Sanitary Transportation rule: what it means for palletsThe FDA Sanitary Transportation rule (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart O, published 2016) lists pallets as transportation equipment. Food pallets must be suitable, cleanable, sanitary and stored to prevent contamination. It does not ban wood or require plastic, a set material or "FDA-approved" pallets.
- GuidesFood-grade pallets: what the term means and how to specify oneThere is no FDA certification for a food-grade pallet. The term means a clean, dry, uncontaminated pallet: new or top-grade wood, kiln-dried and heat-treated (never methyl bromide), or virgin food-contact plastic. FSMA requires transport equipment that will not make food unsafe.
- TypesHygienic plastic pallet: closed decks for food and pharmaA hygienic plastic pallet has a closed, smooth top deck and a closed bottom, with no hollow cavities where dirt, water or bacteria can collect. It is made from virgin HDPE or PP, designed to be washed, and used in food processing, meat, dairy, bakery and pharmaceutical plants.
- IndustriesPallets for food and beverage manufacturingFood companies run two pallet systems: hygienic plastic or aluminum inside wet and open-product areas, and 48 × 40 in wood or pooled pallets for cased goods. The FDA Sanitary Transportation rule requires suitable, cleanable, sanitary pallets but does not mandate a material.
- GuidesPallet mold: causes, prevention and what to do with moldy palletsPallet mold grows when wood stays above about 20% moisture in warm, still air: green pallets in containers, wrapped loads or covered yards. The fix is dry wood: specify kiln-dried pallets (19% or less), store them dry and ventilated, and check moisture before loading. HT alone does not prevent mold.
More in Standards and compliance
- GlossaryCP palletCP pallets (chemical pallets) are a family of nine standardized wood block pallets, CP1 to CP9, developed for the European chemical and plastics industries. Each type has a defined size and construction for loads such as bagged polymer, drums and bulk containers.
- GlossaryDebarked lumberDebarked lumber is wood from which the bark has been removed. ISPM 15 requires all treated wood packaging to be made of debarked wood, allowing only small pieces of bark: under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm² each.
- GlossaryDielectric heating (DH)Dielectric heating (DH) is an ISPM 15 treatment that heats wood packaging with microwaves or radio waves until the entire profile of the wood, including its surface, reaches at least 60 °C for 1 continuous minute. Treated wood is marked with the code DH.
- GlossaryEPALEPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.) is the organization that licenses manufacturers and repairers of EPAL Euro pallets and other EPAL load carriers and controls their quality. The EPAL 1 Euro pallet is a 1200 × 800 × 144 mm block pallet used in open pallet exchange across Europe.
- GlossaryGMAGMA stands for the Grocery Manufacturers Association (now the Consumer Brands Association), whose name became attached to the standard 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) US grocery pallet: a partial four-way wood stringer pallet with three notched stringers, seven top and five bottom deckboards.
- GlossaryGS1GS1 is a global, not-for-profit standards organization that issues company prefixes and maintains the identification and barcode standards used in supply chains, including GTINs for products, the SSCC for logistics units such as pallets, and the GS1-128 barcode.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 243 words.