Pallets for food loads

Pallets for food loads should be clean, dry, intact and free of odor, which in practice means Grade A or new and wood kept below 20 percent moisture. Heat treatment is not a food-safety mark, and a heat-treated pallet can still be moldy.

A receiving-dock checklist

Smell it. A musty smell means damp.
Look for mold on the underside and stringers.
Look for stains from oil or spilled product.
Check for broken boards and protruding nails.
Check the moisture if you have a meter: below 20 percent will not support mold.

Moisture and mold

Wood with moisture content below 20 percent will not support mold, mildew, decay or fungus. Heat-treated pallets loaded into trailer vans while still hot are susceptible to mold; heat treatment does not make wood immune. Even slight air movement, a few feet per second, helps prevent mold on stored pallets.

In South County, mushrooms and produce make the surrounding air damp. Store pallets under cover, off the ground and with air around the stacks. Food and farm shippers face this every harvest.

What to ask a supplier for

Ask for the grade, how the pallets were stored and the date they were last handled. Written specifications from customers vary: some ask for new wood, some accept Grade A. Read yours before buying. See clean pallets for food to request, and Gilroy for the local trade.

Clean for food

Clean pallets for food loads are Grade A or new, kept dry and free of stains, odors and visible mold. South County plants in Morgan Hill and Gilroy ship on them weekly, and a pallet that looks fine can still fail a customer's receiving inspection if it smells of damp.

What clean means on a pallet

No repairs visible: Grade A or new.
No stains from oil, chemicals or spilled product.
No visible mold, and no musty odor.
Dry wood: moisture under 20 percent will not support mold.
No protruding nails or splinters that could puncture packaging.

Heat treatment is not the same as clean. A heat-treated pallet is treated for pests, not food safety, and can be moldy if loaded hot or stored wet.

How food shippers differ

Garlic and mushroom growers and their packers in South County move product on a daily cycle, and the pallets need to keep pace. A produce shipper wants a tight deck that supports cartons; a processor may specify a color or a stamp. Many receiving docks refuse a pallet on inspection, which costs more than the pallet.

Santa Clara County's 2021 agricultural production was valued at nearly $340 million, led by nursery plants and mushrooms. Mushrooms are a damp product, which makes dry pallets matter more.

Questions

Are used pallets OK for food?

Clean, dry Grade A ones often are. Check your customer's specification.

Does heat treatment make a pallet food-safe?

No. It treats the wood for pests but does not prevent mold.

Are used pallets allowed for food?

Many buyers accept Grade A used pallets that are clean and dry. Some customers require new. Check your customer's specification.

What does clean pallets mean?

No repairs, no stains, no mold and dry wood.

Keep reading

Pallets by tradeSemiconductor tools, contract manufacturing, data center builds, medical devices, food and farm, 3PLs and stores: what each sheds and needs.
Used pallets, sortedUsed pallets for San Jose docks, sorted by size and grade, with plain notes on what each grade carries and where it falls short.
GuidesPlain guides to pallet grades, sizes, heat treatment, value, trailer counts and floor space, written for South Bay docks.

Sources, last reviewed 12 November 2026