From RFID Journal: "Several fresh food providers are beginning to use plastic RFID-enabled pallets made by Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS) rather than wooden pallets without RFID tags. Thus far, RFID has helped iGPS better manage the flow of its pallets, through more accurate and timely shipping and receiving records, while end users are still weighing the benefits of using the pallets' embedded RFID tags for shipment tracking within their own management systems.

In the meantime, companies that ship food products say the pallets' primary attraction is their plastic composition, which they claim is lighter, more hygienic and sturdier than wood. Martori Farms, a produce grower in Scottsdale Ariz., and HEB Grocery Co., based in San Antonio, Texas, are among the iGPS converts.

Martori Farms ships the broccoli and melons it grows to distribution centers nationwide, which then transfer the produce to local retailers. "We have been urging our pallet suppliers to develop a plastic product for many years," says Paul Fleming, VP of marketing and business development for Martori Farms. "IGPS presented an option that included the benefits we desired in a pallet." Such advantages included the elimination of broken boards, wood pieces and nails from wooden pallets, which he says "were littering our warehouse floors."
Growers and Grocers Get Into Plastic Pallet Pool