Pallet knowledge / Food and hygiene

Food and hygiene

What should a food factory do about loose nails or splinters on a pallet?

By PalletChecker · AI-assisted, source-linked guidance

Reviewed 2026-10-03 · Source backed guidance; cargo and site specific assessment required

Applies to: Great Britain; destination and site rules may differ

Treat loose material as a potential physical contamination issue within the food-safety system. Stop the affected handling, isolate suspect goods and have the technical team decide the inspection and release action. Simply removing a visible nail does not establish that nearby food or packaging is unaffected.

What to check next

• Record the affected batch and handling location.
• Inspect and replace the defective handling unit under the site procedure.

Sources

• FSA MyHACCP: physical contamination controls

How we research and review answers

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