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Ashland, VA – The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning about using pallets treated with deca bromide for fruits and vegetables undergoing hydrocooling, a process where produce is cooled right after harvest to retain freshness and improve shelf life.

FDA Consumer Safety Officer Dr. Elizabeth Sanchez Furukawa responded to a situation where produce was vertically stacked on pallets and cooled using either ice or water so that water drips down from the upper pallets onto the lower ones. Given that deca bromide (which could have carcinogenic effects) could leech from the pallet, FDA commented that this scenario is a food additive situation requiring pre-market approval by the government. Deca bromide is not currently authorized as a food additive.

The issue of deca bromide in pallets used to store packaged or bulk food products was not addressed.

Chemical manufacturers have transitioned to deca bromide because it was said that it was more stable than other similar polybrominated diphenyl ethers. However, some research suggests that it is possible for algae to break down deca bromide in the environment. The growing presence of these man-made chemicals in nature indicates that leakage is a problem.

Read the full story at palletenterprise.com.

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