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Western Magazine for WPA Members July 2017 MagazinePallet
Northwest Hardwoods Celebrates Its50th Anniversary!
NWPCA to Develop Fire Code Compliance ManualWood Pallets Increasingly Diverted from Landfills
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WPA EXECUTIVE
DIRECTORS
Sukhi BrarRod LucasSteve MazzaRalph RupertBeatrice VasquezGreg Vipond ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS
Tod KintzTyrone KonecnyDerek SampsonJason Saunders Please direct inquiries about the WPA toDavid Sweitzer, Executive Vice-PresidentP.O. Box 1095, Camas, WA 98607Ph. 360 335-0208Email:[email protected]:www.westernpallet.org
www.westernpallet.org
W P A M A G A Z I N E
PresidentVice-PresidentSecretary/TreasurerPast PresidentExecutive VP
Dave UppalLindsey SheanAnnie MonteyKathleen DietrichDave Sweitzer
WesternPallet
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More Pallets Diverted
Pallets are increasingly beingdiverted from landfills, as reportedby Nature's Packaging.
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NWPCA to Develop Fire
Code Compliance ManualThe manual is scheduled to bereleased in the fall of 2017.
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WPA Member NewsNew member announced, Wood-Mizer's new high capacity resaw.
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Jury Awards $17 MillionAfter Forklift Accident
Man lost leg after being run over by abacking up forklift while working as asecurity guard.
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Membership DriveThis year's membership drive isalready in motion.
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JULY 2017
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Cover Story:NorthwestHardwoods
Celebrates 50th18
Other Features 15 North American Softwood Prices 16 Pallet Stamp Misuse Results in $25K Fine and 2 Years Probation 22 U.S. Forest Service Provides $250K Grant 25 Scott Group Achieves 30 Years of Growth 25 New Fire Retardant Plastic Pallets 26 Catch Up on Back Issues
Western Pallet Advertising Sponsors
Advance LumberGo Fast ManufacturingNorth American Forest ProductsNorthwest HardwoodsPallet Machinery GroupPRSPLIBRotochopperTimber Products InspectionViking Engineering & DevelopmentWhite & Company
JULY 2017
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WPA Member News
Wood-MizerIntroduces LargeCapacity HR700Industrial Resaw
Indianapolis, IN – Wood-Mizer, a globalmanufacturer of wood processingequipment, introduces a large capacity,modular, multi-head HR700 industrialresaw to their expanding product range.The industrial resaw is the latest additionto the broad range of Wood-Mizersawmilling equipment engineered forweekend woodworkers through to high-production commercial operations all
all over the world. The HR700 is Wood-Mizer’s largest capacity resaw capable of handling up to 15.75”x 15.75” cants. The machine’s modularity makes it easy to expand from the standardtwo heads to a maximum of six heads. In its maximum configuration, the HR700converts large cants into six boards and one slab in a single pass. Heavy, poweredhold-down rollers stabilize cants on a durable twin-track steel belt conveyor as theyare fed through each head during sawing.
HR700 Resaw Features: Power Options- 20HP (15kW) per head standard- 30HP (22.5kW) per head optionalCutting Capacity- 15.75” by 15.75” max cant heightand width- 12’ max cant length or unlimitedwith additional tablesOne to Six Head ModularConfiguration
New Member WPA is pleased to welcome thefollowing new member to theassociation: Robert WennerPallet Service Corporation11201 90th Avenue NMaple Grove, MN 55369Ph: (763)391-8020Fax: (763)391-8026Web: www.palletservice.comEmail: [email protected]
JULY 2017
“Wood-Mizer remains committed to offering high-quality equipment and serviceto a wide range of sawmilling operations throughout the world,” said Darryl Floyd,Wood-Mizer COO. “The HR700 further provides commercial timber companies theability to process large capacity cants with the flexibility for future growth.”The Wood-Mizer HR700 industrial resaw is now available worldwide. Visit www.woodmizer.com for more information .
Wood Pallets Increasingly Divertedfrom Landfills
One of the biggest landfill avoidance undertakings that currently goes on, and isexpected to increase, is that of recycling wooden pallets. According to the researchpublished in “Pallet Reuse and Recycling Saves High Value Material from Landfills”,in 1992, only about 50 million wood pallets were recovered from landfills andrecycled for further usage. Three years later, that figure jumped to 150 million pallets,and by 2006, the number had increased to over 350 million. By recycling so manypallets, it has been calculated that 5.7 billion board feet of lumber were saved inthis country, by not having to produce new pallets from freshly cut lumber. Wood pallet recyclability has been steadily increasing because lumber is a valuableand limited resource. To discard it in a landfill would truly be a waste. New studiesare currently being conducted to determine how many wood pallets are divertedfrom landfills. In 2014, approximately 258 million tons of waste materials were generated byAmericans and eventually reached various landfills stationed around the country. Areport issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broke down thecomponents of this enormous tonnage as follows: 28.2% was comprised of foodwaste and yard trimmings, 26% was attributable to paper and cardboard products,plastics accounted for 13% of the total, rubber and textiles contributed 9%, metalswere 9%, wood products made up 6%, and glass accounted for 4% of the total. Source: Nature's Packaging
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In California, a Riverside Superior Courtjury has awarded Steven Meier $17million after he had his right legamputated below the knee due to beingrun over by a forklift in October 2013. Mr. Meier, who was a security guardemployed by Securitas Security Services,was patrolling at a PennySaver USAfacility in Mira Loma, CA, when he wasstruck from behind by a forklift operatingin reverse on October 20, 2013. Theforklift crushed Mr. Meier’s right leg,dragging him several feet and deglovinghis lower limb. To dislodge Mr. Meier’s legfrom underneath the forklift, a secondforklift was brought in to lift the firstforklift off of Mr. Meier. Mr. Meier was rushed to RiversideCommunity Hospital where heunderwent various surgeries to repair hisleg and ankle. Over the next year and ahalf, Mr. Meier underwent elevensurgeries to repair the damage to his leg,foot, and ankle. Due to the large zone ofinjury, Mr. Meier was plagued withcomplications, requiring multiplehospitalizations, and surgeries.Ultimately, however, these measureswere for naught and on July 21, 2015, ayear and a half after the collision, Mr.
Meier’s right leg was amputated justbelow the knee. Even after the amputation, Mr. Meier hadto undergo three revision surgeries, andinfections continued to set back hisrecovery. In September 2016, Mr. Meierwas finally fitted for a temporaryprosthetic leg, and is expected to get apermanent prosthetic towards thebeginning of 2018. Lead trial counsel for Mr. Meier, RicardoEcheverria, said after the verdict “We arevery pleased that the jury recognized thetragedy that this case presented. Theverdict was a fair and reasonable resultgiven the liability and damage issues inthe case.” The trial lasted ten days before the juryruled in favor of Mr. Meier. Without knowing the specifics of the case,it is important to emphasize theimportance of training pedestrians whowork in the vicinity of forklifts aboutpreventive measures, and that if a forkliftoperator cannot maintain a line of sightin the direction of travel, a spotter isrequired to ensure safe passage.
Jury Awards $17 Million to Man WhoLost His Leg in Forklift Accident
JULY 2017
NWPCA TO DEVELOP FIRE CODECOMPLIANCE MANUAL
The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) has initiated thedevelopment of a Fire Code Compliance manual to address the revised requirementsfor outdoor pallet storage. The new requirements are part of the 2018 editions ofthe National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 1) and the International Fire Code (IFC)of the International Code Council that specifically address the wood and compositewood pallet manufacturing and recycling facilities. Coinciding with the NWPCA’s “Year of Safety,” President/CEO Brent McClendonstated, “The release of the manual just reinforces our commitment to safety of theentire industry, their workers, and first responders.” The NWPCA was influential inthe development of the revised standards to address the fire risk with sound operatingpractices. McClendon added, “Our members practice safety first. The new manualwill help this industry tremendously by outlining best practices for use in theirfacilities, while complying with the new fire codes coming their way.” The new NFPA 1 and IFC code requirements highlight the need for a defined site plan,a fire prevention plan, a fire safety and evacuation plan, and a security managementplan. The NWPCA Fire Code Compliance manual will include: - Outline of specific steps each facility will need to take to comply with new firecodes and code regulations.- Templates and checklists that facilities can use to assist in drafting required plansand maintaining documentation.- Additionally, the manual will provide the necessary information facilities need toachieve compliance with the revised fire code requirements. The NWPCA Fire Code Compliance Manual is scheduled to be published and releasedin the fall of 2017. Interested businesses and organizations can sign up to receiveupdates about the Code Compliance Manual’s release on www.PalletCentral.com/ComplianceManual.
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Gunilla Beyer, 1948 – 2017
TIMCON was sad to recently announce that its colleague and friend Gunilla Beyer of theSwedish Forest Industry Federation (SFIF) had passed away unexpectedly at the age of68. She had only recently retired to enjoy time with her children and grandchildren. Gunillawas dedicated to the wood industry, spending 40 years working in the Swedish woodsector, focusing on issues of climate, sustainability, and wood as packaging material. She was well known for her work on packaging standardization and was the chairman oran essential member of several international standardization bodies related to wood andwooden packaging. The Swedish “SJ-pallet” became the European standard for pallets,which is now produced in 400 million units annually. In 1989, Gunilla helped establishcollaboration with NWPCA in the US. Gunilla was nicknamed “Pallet Queen” and receiveda necklace in the shape of a golden pallet; an award she wore with great pride.
JULY 2017
The Membership
Drive Is On! This year's membership drive is nowunderway, and as always, the competitionwill be intense. In addition to valuable cash prizes, thewinner now also receives the membershiptrophy, presented at the Annual Meeting.With the highly successful 2017 AnnualMeeting now in the books, it is time to worktoward 2018. When you recruit new members, the entireWPA membership is the winner!
New members can join and pay on thewebsite. Here is the link: www.westernpallet.org
JULY 2017
North AmericanSoftwood Prices Weekly softwood lumber prices to Jul 18, 2017 are shown below, sourcedat http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/industry/13309.
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Advertise in Western Pallet
Full page ad only $200! (back cover available) Half Page: $150 Business Card: $75 For more information, contact
Pallet Mill Manager Receives TwoYears’ Probation and $25K for Stamp
Misuse WASHINGTON, July 12, 2017 — Russel Wetenkamp of Manitowoc, Wisc., pledguilty and was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District ofWisconsin to criminal violations related to the Plant Protection Act (PPA).Wetenkamp fraudulently marked wooden pallets indicating that they werecompliant with the regulations under the PPA that govern the use of woodpackaging material in international trade even though they had not been properlytreated to prevent the spread of wood boring pests. As part of a plea agreement, Wetenkamp pled guilty to violating the Act andmaking a false statement (18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2); 7 U.S.C. § 7734(a)(1)(A)), whichare both criminal charges. Wetenkamp was sentenced to pay a $25,000 fine,complete a two year probation term, and pay restitution in the amount of $18,748to his customers. From November 2014 until April 2015, Wetenkamp, who was working as the SiteGeneral Manager of the Timber Creek Resources’ Newton, Wisconsin, facility, soldfalsely stamped pallets to numerous customers. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office ofInspector General and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
JULY 2017
Take a moment rightnow to renew your
WPA membership for2017-2018. It is aseasy as clicking on
the WPAmembership link!
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Northwest Hardwoods at 50!
The alder tree: understated, fast-growing and resilient. This is howNorthwest Hardwoods veteran and current Hardwood Lumber ProductManager, Dave Bosley, views the company that gave him his start 39 yearsago. “Working at Northwest Hardwoods has been like being on a rocket,” said Bosley, whohas witnessed the company change from a one-mill operation to become today’slargest manufacturer and global supplier of hardwood lumber. “It has been a constantgo, go, go environment.” Founder Arnold Curtis established Northwest Hardwoods (NWH) in 1967, by creatinga single alder mill in Arlington, Washington. With his pioneering vision, he set out totransform the under-appreciated alder tree into the high quality lumber product thatit is today. Along the way, Curtis created a brand that has garnered admiration for itsconsistent high quality products, industry innovation, and its customer-focusedphilosophy.
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JULY 2017
“In the early years, Northwest Hardwoods showed an entrepreneurial spirit like atech start-up, willing to experiment and take risks,” continued Bosley. “That timeperiod set the groundwork for our continuing effort to do things differently fromthe rest of the industry.” Innovation and QualityOne of the keys to its early success, and a cornerstone of the NWH brand, was thecompany’s introduction of a proprietary grading structure for alder. During the1960‘s and 1970‘s, the hardwood industry was based on a limited number ofstandard grades. NWH identified an opportunity to more directly serve the needsof the customer, and took the bold step of creating proprietary grades, tailored tomeet their specific application requirements. For example, by splitting thestandard #1 Common into two distinct new grades (2-face Cabinet and 1-faceCustom Shop), NWH offered the customer flexible options to maximize yieldefficiency and lower costs. This innovative move to proprietary grading has continued to evolve, as thecompany has grown and expanded its product offerings and reach. However, theprogram would not be a success without the parallel emphasis on quality control.“We deliver a consistent product year after year, truck after truck, container aftercontainer,” said Darren Gellerson, Plant Manager, Longview/Centralia and WestCoast Regional Quality Control Manager. “Quality control has become a vital partof the business, and our book of best practice guidelines is like our playbook; wenever waver from it. Everyone from the cleanup person to the sawyer and graderunderstands how the various lumber grades are used by the customer, and theimportance of consistent product quality.” People Make the DifferenceGellerson joined NWH nearly four decades ago, originally tasked with pullinglumber on the green chain, and like Dave Bosley, who hired him, he has nevergrown bored. “Work is really fun,” Gellerson remarked. “I had a five-year plan, and now I’vebeen here for 38 years!” Both Bosley and Gellerson have been a part of the fabric of NWH for most of thecompany’s 50 years, and they each point to the people as being a primary reasonfor its success.
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High employee retention has contributedgreatly to NWH’ s ability to workcollaboratively within the company, andalong with its customers. Thiscollaborative approach is most evidentbetween the sales and operations teams,in which an open dialogue allowsquestions to be answered and decisionsto be made quickly. Salespeople routinelyvisit the mills, often bringing customersalong with them. “We feel that it is important for ourcustomers to see our facilities, and for thepeople at our facilities to meet ourcustomers and understand their needs,”added Bosley. “Listening to and engagingour customers has always been a toppriority for Northwest Hardwoods.”
Growth and ReachBy 1980, when WeyerhaeuserCorporation bought NWH, the company’sfoundation and innovative culture wasfirmly established and ready to enter asteady growth mode for much of the next30 years. Among numerous acquisitions,key mills were purchased in Onalaska, WI(1984) and Titusville, PA (1987), markingNWH’s entrance into the Glacial andAppalachian growing regions,respectively. In 2006, the addition ofhardwood plywood served as anothermajor building block to the company’sbreadth of product offerings. In addition to product expansion duringthis period, NWH also significantlybroadened its international market reach.With the benefit of Weyerhaeuser’sestablished presence in Japan, NWH
became the first to export alder lumberinto the Japanese market in the early 1980‘s. NWH was also visionary in the Chinesemarket, identifying the opportunities inthe region long before others in theindustry became aware. In both Japan andChina, local NWH offices were established,and staffed by highly skilled localemployees, securing a leadershipfoothold that continues today. Having become the clear leader in thehardwoods industry, NWH was eventuallybought by American Industrial Partners in2011 and then by its current owner,Littlejohn & Co, in 2014. Exotic hardwoodswere added to its portfolio, and with theacquisition of ITL in 2015, NWH enjoys asignificantly larger footprint in theAppalachian hardwoods market. Today,NWH offers 14 different domestichardwoods, along with more than 20species of exotics, as well as appearanceand structural plywood. Reliability = LongevityA business can not last without cultivatinghealthy, long-standing customerrelationships, and NWH recognized earlyon that serving as a reliable partner wasessential. Five Star Lumber Company, a family-owned pallet manufacturer since 1981,has been a loyal customer of NWH sincethe early 1980’s, buying Alder shook forits hardwood pallet production. It is oneof many second-generation customersthat have enabled NWH to thrive for 50years.
JULY 2017
“Our relationship with NorthwestHardwoods has allowed our business togrow, by giving us the confidence thatwe had a supplier that would always bethere for us,” said Marco Beretta,managing member of Five Star Lumber,who’s father began the relationship withNWH. “Their forward-looking, consistentphilosophy has meant long-term, stablepricing for us, and led to a predictablepallet program for our customers.” Qingdao CX Joy Hardwoods Company,one of the largest panel producers inChina, is a customer dating back to1996, and another illustration of howNWH creates enduring relationships. “Our business partnership withNorthwest Hardwoods has never ceasedto strengthen over the last 21 years,”
said Heng-yi Lin, President of QingdaoCX Joy Hardwoods. “Ours is not simply abuy-and-sell relationship. Our salesteam learns from and works withNorthwest Hardwoods on newopportunities, and our production teamgives regular feedback to refineproducts, or to just say ‘thanks’ forshipping us such well-manufacturedlumber.” These long-lasting relationships areemblematic of NWH’s commitment to itsguiding vision for the last 50 years. Byproviding consistent, high-qualityproducts through innovation and strongcustomer engagement, NorthwestHardwoods has grown from a modest,single sawmill, to become the resilientand reliable brand it is today, recognizedacross the globe.
Getting logos and ready to ship - Longview, Washington.
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UCSC Arts Research Center Awarded$250,000 Grant from U.S. Forest
Service
The U.S. Forest Service has awarded a$250,000 grant to the Center for the Studyof the Force Majeure, a research centerbased in the Arts Division at UC Santa Cruz. Founded by Newton and Helen MayerHarrison, research professors in UCSC’sDigital Arts and New Media Program(DANM), the Center for the Study of theForce Majeure brings together artists andscientists to design ecosystem-adaptationprojects in critical regions around theworld to respond to climate change. The center will use the grant to study theeconomic feasibility of developing aninnovative forest industry cluster nearReno, Nevada. Titled the “Western Nevada and CentralSierra Nevada of California Regional WoodUtilization Team,” the project will estimatethe supply of wood biomass in the areaeast of the central Sierra crest and inwestern Nevada, and assess the possibilityof producing wood products from thatsupply. The aim of the grant--part of $8.3 millionin distributed funds just announced by theU.S. Forest Service--is to stimulate theremoval of hazardous fuels from foreststo reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfiresand promote forest health, while at thesame time spurring the economic
Above: Joshua Harrison (left), withDigital Arts and New Media researchprofessor Newton Harrison, founder/director of the Center for the Study of theForce Majeure, a research center basedin the Arts Division at UC Santa Cruz(Photo by Maureen Dixon Harrison.)Below: Target study area in Californiaand Nevada.
JULY 2017
Upcoming Events 8/15/2017 - 8/17/2017 Unit Load Design and Performance ShortCourse, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. 9/25,2017 - 09/27/2017 Pack Expo Show, Las Vegas, Nevada. www.packexpolasvegas.com. 1/12/2018 - 1/16/2018 WPA Annual Meeting, Rancho Mirage,California. www.westernpallet.org. 3/7/2018 - 3/9/2018 NWPCA Annual Leadership Conference, FortLauderdale, Florida. www.palletcentral.com.
development of rural communities. “Our first step is to get a much betterestimate of the supply--the amount oftimber by species along with brush andother biomass available in the WUT (WoodUtilization Team) region which covers abig chunk of the Eastern Central Sierraaround Lake Tahoe and a matching sectionof Western Nevada,” said Harrison. “Weneed to understand better how muchwood and woody biomass is availableusing an environmental analysis thatprotects endangered species habitat,wetlands and riparian areas, andprioritizes 10-inch and smaller diametertrees--in effect what we’re calling the
‘environmental cut.” “Our next step is to take that supplyinformation and work with some partnersto identify a range of potential uses--fromsoil additives, to pallets, fence posts,pellets, wood chips, traditional timber anda range of manufactured woods, alongwith the economic potential of each use.” “Finally, we will take our research and addmarket need and economic analysis tobuild a strategic economic overviewwhich we will publish,” he added.
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Scott Group Celebrates 30 Years ofService
Founded in Scotland in July 1987 at asawmill in Gargunnock, Stirlingshire,congratulations are in order to the ScottGroup as it celebrates its 30th anniversarythis summer. It will be marking theoccasion with a number of specialactivities over the coming months. The company’s 30th anniversarycelebration will see it focus on its staff,customers and the environment andcommunities in which it operates througha range of initiatives: – Recognize and reward 30 Rising Starsamongst its staff– Initiate a tree planting project inpartnership with Outward Bound Trust atLoch Eil– Host an inter-site competition tomanufacture a special item thatcommemorates our anniversary
– Raise money for charity throughparticipation in The Big Fun Run https://www.bigfunrun.com/ “We are immensely grateful to all of ourstaff, customers, suppliers, and partnerswho have made the past 30 years possible,and look forward to what the next 30 yearswill bring,” stated Norman Scott, GroupOperations Director. Scott Group is also asking its customersto join the celebrations. Here’s what someof them had to say: “Scott Pallets has been an excellentsupplier to Peacock Salt over many yearsand that is vitally important to us as nearlyone million bags of salt are delivered ontheir pallets each year.
JULY 2017
Wherever we need pallets in the UK, asupply source is near at hand with theproduct we require. Congratulations onyour 30 year anniversary!”Billy McKelvie, Operation Manager,Peacock Salt “Congratulations to Scott Group on 30years in business. We have worked withyou for the past 16 years and you continueto do a great job in providing bespokepackaging solutions for our specialistproducts.”Simon Bowles, Warehouse Manager,Zodiac Seats UK “After reading about your upcoming 30thanniversary, I would like to express howvery well we are served in Shetland by
Alex and the gang. Scott Direct is a greatasset to Shetland.”Andrew Kemp, Stores Controller, NessEngineering Scott Group has grown considerably overthe past 30 years through organic growthand more than 30 acquisitions across arange of sectors in the UK and into Europe.It has become the UK’s market leading andlargest pallet supplier, and a leadingsupplier of bespoke packaging andessential trade supplies such as tools andbranded work wear through Scott Direct.The company also operates a portfolio ofcommercial property throughout the UK.It employs over 1,000 people across 26sites.
New Family of Fire Retardant Pallets PalletsORBIS® Corporation, a leading plastic
pallet manufacturer, recently developedand launched Proliant™, a fire-retardantplastic material for use in select plasticpallets. It is approved by Factory MutualResearch Corporation (FM) in meeting firerating requirements equivalent to woodpallets. These pallets are traditionallyknown to meet Factory Mutual Insurancestandards for commodity classification ofidle plastic pallets and NFPA 13/2000requirements. Along with FM approval, Proliant also iscompliant with the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), providing thenecessary compliance for food andbeverage processors that require a fire-retardant pallet solution for their plants.Regulatory compliance evaluation wasconducted with Proliant in accordancewith the USA FDA food contact regulations(21 CFR citations), food contactnotifications, Threshold of Regulations(TOR), generally recognized as safe (GRAS)inventory and prior-sanctioned lists. Readmore.
In case you missed them...(Click on back issues to read or download)
June 2017 May 2017 April 2017
March 2017 February 2017 January 2017
