Are pallets acceptable to fulfill the 6 inch requirement?

#1 wuriu

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Posted 15 February 2018 - 07:20 PM

Hello all, I am currently working towards SQF (level 2) certification and was curious about some storage requirements I have found in the code. I have noticed there is a requirement for items to be six inches off the ground to prevent contamination & allow adequate air circulation in cold storage and six inches off the ground for proper cleaning in dry storage. Are pallets not acceptable to fulfill the 6 inch requirement or would I need to get an actual racking system to place pallets on? This forum has been a great help so far and I appreciate any help in advance. Thanks

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#2 Scampi

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Posted 15 February 2018 - 07:29 PM

In my experience, pallets have always been sufficient to keep items off the floor and satisfy auditors.

Because we always have is never an appropriate response!

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#3 FurFarmandFork

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Posted 15 February 2018 - 07:37 PM

Pallets are always fine. The only areas where they tend not to be is when they become obviously permanent (e.g. holding up installed equipment), because the areas underneath are not cleanable unless they can be moved.

Austin Bouck
Owner/Consultant at Fur, Farm, and Fork.
Consulting for companies needing effective, lean food safety systems and solutions.

Subscribe to the blog at furfarmandfork.com for food safety research, insights, and analysis.

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#4 Peaches

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Posted 15 February 2018 - 07:56 PM

Pallets work as long as you have a cleaning program that specifies how often they are moved and cleaned around if you are using for storage (i.e. weekly, monthly)

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#5 SQFconsultant

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Posted 21 February 2018 - 05:52 PM

Where does it say 6 inches in SQF 8.0?

Kind regards,

Glenn Oster

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#6 wuriu

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Posted 21 February 2018 - 06:07 PM

Where does it say 6 inches in SQF 8.0?

The 6 inches is mentioned in section 11.6.2 as

"The product on these racks or shelves should be at least 30 cm (twelve inches) from walls and 150 mm (6 inches) off the floor to prevent contamination and allow for adequate air circulation around the product (refer to 11.2.3)."

Thank you for everyones input!

and in section 11.6.3 as

" Stands and the lower shelves of stands should be at least 150 mm (6 inches), or as required by applicable regulation above floor level to facilitate proper cleaning."