Tylenol / TBA & TBP Free Wooden Pallets
Tylenol Causes Pallet Headache
A large recall of Tylenol has caused a potential PR headache for the wood pallet industry after drug maker Johnston & Johnston implied that wood pallets were responsible for the problem which resulted in a bad odor inside Tylenol bottles.
The problematic chemical is called 2,4,6 - tribromoanisole" or TBA. It results from a breakdown of another chemical called "tribromophenol" or TBP, which is used in some countries as a preservative on wooden pallets. Speaking at the WPA Annual Meeting, NWPCA president, Bruce Scholnick, commented that TBP hasn’t been approved for use in the United States or Europe for 15 years. The chemical, however, is used in South America, which can be a source of lumber for North American pallet makers.
News surrounding the Tylenol recall left many wood pallet manufacturers fielding calls from customers, who were assured that TBP is not applied to pallets manufactured in the United States. Mr. Scholnick indicated that NWPCA had been in daily contact with Johnston & Johnston as the recall took place in January.
The story was picked up by CNN on January 26,
which obtained possession of a letter from
NWPCA to Johnston & Johnston "To the best of our knowledge,
wood pallets and containers have never
been the source of either TBA or TBP.”
"It appears McNeil/Johnson & Johnson has used
its immense stature to publicly express highly irresponsible
and defamatory statements toward the
wood pallet industry," Scholnick wrote in the letter.
"McNeil/Johnson & Johnson's conduct has damaged
the wood pallet industry's reputation and
business relationships," he added. "More importantly
[it] has spread factually unsupported and
misleading statements which have needlessly alarmed the public."
Subsequent to the recall, Scholnick commented that other drug companies were looking for additional certification from suppliers that pallets have not been tainted by TBP. He said that while this is a straight forward task for new pallets, for used pallets it is much more difficult to achieve.
At the WPA Annual Meeting, Scholnick commented that it was “a long journey” from the pallet, through the transport carton, and through the inner box and inside the bottle, and that TBP can be associated with other products such as cardboard. Industry insiders have speculated that whatever the source, the exposure to TBP took place when the bottles were empty, before they were filled.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration has given McNeil/Johnston & Johnston 15 days to investigate, and its own investigation is ongoing.
Source:
Money/CNN Tylenol recall sparks battle over blame
Pallet Enterprise/ TYLENOLŪ Recall Spurs Unfounded Market Fears
The Facts About Tylenol Recall and Relationship to Wood Pallets
In November 2009, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced a voluntary recall of 5 lots of TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count due to consumer reports of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. In December, the drug company in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), expanded the recall to include all lot numbers of that drug. The smell was traced to a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. It is the drug company’s conjecture that the source is a result of a breakdown of a chemical used to treat wooden pallets. The release of McNeil’s recall statement has raised alarm among other pharmaceutical corporations and food companies with regard to the safe use of wood pallets.
Do U.S. wood pallet manufacturers and recyclers use TBA or ribromophenol
(TBP)?
The candid answer is NO.
Here are the facts:
§ TBP is a wood preservative
used by some countries to control insects, fungi and bacteria in lumber,
engineered wood (e.g. plywood), posts and utility poles. It is soluble
in acetone, diethylether benzene, toluence, alcohol, petroleum distillates,
etc. TBP is water insoluble but it is converted into its sodium salt
in order to be used in water systems.
§ TBP appears as white to off-white crystalline flakes with phenolic odor. It can be applied by pressure and vacuum impregnation, dipping, brushing or spraying.
§ TBP is not a registered pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Therefore, it is not legal for sale or use in the United States (it is also banned in Europe). The chemical is not recognized as a wood preservative by the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA). U.S. wood treatment facilities do not use this fungicide.
§ TBA and TBP are not fumigants and not related to methyl bromide. Wood packaging products that are properly fumigated with methyl bromide do not have residue. The same is true for heat treated pallets.
§ NWPCA has talked with technical personnel at U.S. companies producing other fungicides such as Timbor and Xmold products that are approved for use in America. Timbor is an inorganic compound.
What this means to you:
To our knowledge, this is the first time an incident related to wood packaging and TBA has occurred in the U.S. since the American wood industry, and our major trading partner Europe, does not use the chemical. Other countries allow the chemicals’ usage. Despite the fact that this is an anomalous incident, pallet users are alarmed and are calling NWPCA and pallet companies for assurance that U.S. wood pallets are safe. Unfortunately, plastic pallet providers are working to provoke fears that are largely ungrounded. But the plastic pallet industry has been hard hit by both lawmakers and regulators who have taken steps to ban the hazardous chemical fire retardant, decabromodiphenyl ether (deca-bromine) used in large quantities in millions of plastic pallets. They are desperate to deflect customer attention – particularly that of food and drug producers – away from the very real hazards inherent in their product.
As a result of the Tylenol recall, some pallet users, most notably some
pharmaceutical companies, are now asking for self-certification from pallet vendors/suppliers stating they are using wood/raw materials that are TBP-free and are not sourced from South America.
NWPCA has met with staff at Johnson & Johnson to discuss solutions. All are confident we can create a process that will maintain safety, efficiency and cost effectiveness in the U.S. supply chain. Company representatives are seeking approval to participate at the NWPCA Annual Leadership Conference in February.
National Wooden Pallet and Container Association
1421 Prince St., Suite 340
Alexandria, VA 22314-2805
Phone: 703-519-6104
Fax: 703-519-4720
www.palletcentral.com
This E-News was written by Edgar Deomano, Ph.D., NWPCA Technical Director
E-mail questions to: edeomano@palletcentral.com or call Bruce Scholnick at 703-519-6104.
Original Source Document: tylenol.pdf 