Mục lục
- 1. VietGAP, GlobalGAP and HACCP - What Do They Require for Pallets?
- 2. Plastic Pallet Material Requirements for Seafood and Agriculture
- 3. Plastic Pallets in Seafood Cold Storage: Standards and Selection
- 4. Plastic Pallets in Post-Harvest Agricultural Processing and Storage
- 5. HACCP-Compliant Plastic Pallet Cleaning Procedure
- 6. Pallet Requirements Comparison: VietGAP, GlobalGAP and HACCP
- 7. Common Mistakes When Choosing Plastic Pallets for Seafood and Agriculture
- 8. Frequently Asked Questions
- Do plastic pallets need food-grade certification to be used in the seafood industry?
- Can heat-treated (HT) wooden pallets be used in seafood cold storage?
- What pallet size is suitable for exporting seafood to Japan and the EU?
- How often should pallets be cleaned in a seafood processing plant?
- Are white plastic pallets durable in cold storage environments?
- Conclusion
Reviewed and updated by ICD - Week 24/2026
Plastic pallets in the seafood and agricultural supply chain are a critical hygiene control point addressed by all three standards - VietGAP, GlobalGAP and HACCP - though with different terminology and levels of detail. When a business chooses the wrong pallet material, the consequences go beyond microbial risks on the product: they include the risk of failing certification audits and losing access to export markets.
- HACCP, VietGAP and GlobalGAP all require tools and equipment in contact with food to be non-absorbent, non-toxic and easy to sanitize - wooden pallets do not meet this standard
- Virgin HDPE (food-grade) plastic pallets are the mandatory choice for cold storage seafood facilities (-18 degrees C) and fresh produce processing facilities
- GlobalGAP requires 252 criteria for exporting to the EU and US - including requirements for hygiene of post-harvest equipment
- QCVN 12-1:2011/BYT stipulates that plastic materials in contact with food must meet food-grade standards
In 15 years working in the logistics and warehousing industry, I have advised many seafood and agricultural export businesses. One thing I have noticed: many companies invest heavily in processing lines, cold storage, and certified facilities - but overlook the pallets. The result is that when a GlobalGAP or HACCP audit team arrives, they find mold-covered wooden pallets in the cold store, or recycled plastic pallets that do not meet food-grade criteria - and the entire audit has to stop.
Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a major opportunity: seafood exports in 2025 reached nearly USD 10 billion, with demanding markets like the EU, Japan and the US increasingly requiring transparent, standards-compliant supply chains from harvest to delivery point. Agriculture is no different - GlobalGAP is becoming a mandatory “passport” for Vietnamese agricultural products entering European supermarkets. In that context, plastic pallets play an essential and non-negotiable role.
1. VietGAP, GlobalGAP and HACCP - What Do They Require for Pallets?
VietGAP, GlobalGAP and HACCP are three standards systems operating at different levels but sharing an important common ground: all of them control materials that contact food or food storage environments.
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VietGAP
Issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, applicable to cultivation, livestock and aquaculture with 70 criteria on food safety, environment, worker health and traceability. Requires tools in contact with agricultural produce to be cleaned and sanitized regularly, without causing physical, chemical or biological contamination. -
GlobalGAP
An international standard with 252 criteria, often described as the “passport” for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter EU, US and Japanese markets. Post-harvest handling criteria clearly state: tools and surfaces in contact with the product must be made from non-toxic, non-absorbent, easy-to-clean materials. Among the 252 criteria, 36 are mandatory at 100% - hygiene requirements for tools fall within this group. -
HACCP
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system, recommended globally by WHO and FAO. HACCP requires businesses to identify and control all biological, chemical and physical risks throughout the production chain. Wooden pallets in seafood cold stores are a microbiological hazard (mold, bacteria) and a physical hazard (wood splinters, nails) - replacing them with virgin HDPE plastic pallets is the simplest and most thorough way to eliminate this risk.
2. Plastic Pallet Material Requirements for Seafood and Agriculture
Not every plastic pallet meets the standard. Technical regulation QCVN 12-1:2011/BYT clearly defines migration and material composition requirements - plastic pallets must be made from virgin resin with controlled additive content.
- Does not absorb water (<0.01%)
- Temperature range -40 degrees C to +60 degrees C - suitable for cold storage at -18 degrees C
- Resistant to chlorine, iodophor, 10% NaOH and peracetic acid
- Higher surface hardness than HDPE
- Suitable for cool storage at 0-5 degrees C and ambient-temperature processing facilities
- Lower deep-cold resistance compared to HDPE
- Uncontrollable material composition
- May contain lead or cadmium stabilizer additives
- Will be flagged as “non-compliant” in GlobalGAP/HACCP audits
3. Plastic Pallets in Seafood Cold Storage: Standards and Selection
Seafood cold storage is the harshest environment for any material: temperatures from -18 degrees C to -25 degrees C, high humidity, and frequent cleaning cycles with strong chemicals. There are two important differences compared to standard pallets:
- Cold resistance: At -18 degrees C, many standard plastics become brittle and prone to cracking under impact. Cold storage pallets must be made from HDPE or HDPE blended with an appropriate plasticizer.
- Drainage capability: Open-deck or grooved-surface pallets help prevent water pooling during periodic defrost cleaning, inhibiting bacterial growth.
Technical specifications by operating environment:
| Selection Criteria | Seafood Cold Storage (-18 degrees C) | Agricultural Cool Store (0-5 degrees C) | Ambient Processing Facility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Cold-rated virgin HDPE | Virgin HDPE or PP | Virgin HDPE or PP |
| Deck structure | Open deck or drainage grooves | Open deck or solid deck | Solid deck |
| Dynamic load capacity | 1,000 - 1,500 kg | 1,000 - 1,200 kg | 800 - 1,200 kg |
| Common dimensions | 1,100×1,100 mm (export standard) | 1,200×1,000 mm | 1,200×1,000 mm or 800×1,000 mm |
4. Plastic Pallets in Post-Harvest Agricultural Processing and Storage
In the agricultural supply chain, pallets appear at many points: from farm loading areas, to fresh produce processing facilities, cool stores, and export packing zones. Each point has different requirements - but all must meet the basic VietGAP and GlobalGAP criteria of not contaminating the product.
In VietGAP-certified fresh produce processing facilities, solid deck plastic pallets are preferred because there are no gaps to trap soil, product debris or wash water - particularly important in wet processing environments: washing, chlorine soaking, bagging. Solid deck pallets can be wiped completely clean after each shift.
For agricultural produce exported under GlobalGAP, there is an additional important requirement often overlooked: traceability. Plastic pallets support this in several ways:
- Attach QR codes, barcodes or RFID directly to pallet legs
- Use color-coded pallets for different production zones
The cost of implementing a color-coded plastic pallet system with traceability QR codes for a 1,000 m2 warehouse is approximately 50-80 million VND - a one-time investment that opens access to export markets worth billions of VND per year.
5. HACCP-Compliant Plastic Pallet Cleaning Procedure
Selecting the right plastic pallet is only the first step - maintaining proper cleaning procedures is what determines whether pallets actually meet HACCP standards in practice. Many facilities invest in good plastic pallets but still receive warnings during audits because cleaning procedures are not systematic or not documented.
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1
Remove gross debris - Unload goods and sweep/blow compressed air to clean the surface -
2
High-pressure water rinse - Minimum 50 bar to remove stubborn dirt (especially important for open-deck pallets) -
3
Chemical sanitization - Spray or soak in 200 ppm chlorine solution or 25 ppm iodophor for 10-15 minutes -
4
Final rinse and drying - Rinse with clean water and air-dry naturally or with hot air
6. Pallet Requirements Comparison: VietGAP, GlobalGAP and HACCP
The table below summarizes the requirements of all three standards regarding pallets and equipment in the seafood and agricultural production chain:
| Requirement | VietGAP | GlobalGAP | HACCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-toxic material | Mandatory | Mandatory (36 core criteria) | Hazard analysis - elimination required |
| Easy to clean and sanitize | Mandatory | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Non-absorbent | Indirect requirement | Explicit requirement | Biological hazard control |
| Cleaning records | Not separately required | Recommended | Mandatory |
| Traceability via pallets | Not required | Encouraged | Not required |
| Color-coding by zone | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended |
| Can wooden pallets be used? | Limited - depends on zone | Not recommended in processing facilities | High hazard - requires separate control |
GlobalGAP has the strictest requirements and is audited by independent third parties (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek). This means there is no room for “nearly compliant” - either your pallets meet the criteria or they do not. VietGAP is more flexible but is gradually being tightened to align with GlobalGAP in the context of international integration.
7. Common Mistakes When Choosing Plastic Pallets for Seafood and Agriculture
The Vietnamese plastic pallet market currently has many low-cost products that do not clearly disclose the ratio of virgin to recycled resin. Always require suppliers to provide technical documentation clearly stating resin type, virgin content percentage and production standard. A reputable supplier will provide this information without delay.
Standard plastic pallets are designed to operate at ambient temperatures, not at -18 degrees C or -25 degrees C. At sub-zero temperatures, standard plastics become brittle and may shatter under forklift impact, creating plastic fragments that fall into products - a serious physical hazard under HACCP analysis. Cold storage pallets must have the operating temperature range clearly stated in their technical specifications.
Using the same pallets without color differentiation between the raw material receiving area, processing area, finished goods area and waste area is a source of cross-contamination - one of the most seriously penalized findings in HACCP audits. The actual cost of color-coding pallets is very low but the control effectiveness is very high.
Pallets with cracks, broken legs or chipped surfaces must be removed from service immediately. Cracks harbor bacteria and cannot be thoroughly cleaned even with strong chemicals. Many facilities continue using damaged pallets because they “can still hold the load” - this is an unacceptable microbiological risk in a food environment.
8. Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Plastic pallets in the seafood and agricultural supply chain are not secondary materials - they are a link in the food safety system that VietGAP, GlobalGAP and HACCP all regulate. Choosing the right pallet is the simplest way to eliminate a major hazard group in HACCP analysis and pass the equipment criteria under GlobalGAP.
The core principle: virgin HDPE for cold storage and humid environments, virgin PP for ambient-temperature processing facilities, color-coding by zone to control cross-contamination, and maintaining cleaning records for every cycle. Implementation costs are modest but the value delivered - both in food safety and certification documentation - is substantial.
Free consultation on the right pallet for your seafood and agricultural warehouse
ICD Vietnam supplies virgin HDPE and PP plastic pallets for the seafood and agricultural industries, with full technical specifications and material documentation for GlobalGAP, VietGAP and HACCP audits.
