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All of our pallets are manufactured from freshly sawn timber that is free of the
chemicals 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP), and all other
preservatives. TBA and TBP are not used in any of our manufacturing processes and we require our suppliers to confirm
that all products supplied to us are free of TBA and TBP. In particular, we guarantee that in heat-treating timber in accordance with our
ISPM15 certification, we use heated air only. We do not use methyl bromide treatment. No timber used
in our factory has been exposed to methyl bromide at any time.
Why is this relevant?
The American drug company McNeil Consumer Healthcare recently initiated a voluntary recall of a number of
drug products, including Tylenol, after a series of consumer reports of an unusual odour that was associated
in a small number of cases with temporary non-serious gastrointestinal events including stomach pain,
nausea, and vomiting. The company found that the smell was caused by the presence of trace amounts of
2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), which can result from the breakdown of a chemical called
2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP). TBP is used in some parts of the world as a fungicide in timber
used to make pallets. It is banned in Europe and the United States.
The source of the problem has not been identified, but one possibility examined was packaging materials
shipped to McNeil Consumer Healthcare on pallets manufactured in the Dominican Republic.
As a result of this situation, many purchasers of wooden pallets, especially in the healthcare industry, are
asking their suppliers to confirm that their products are free from TBA and TBP. We at Hazelhill Timber Products
are happy to give this confirmation.
See the following links for more information on this issue:
Please contact us if you would like us to issue you with a formal signed declaration of our
position with regard to TBP and TBA.
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