Wooden pallets have been hailed as one of the most hygienic packaging methods around for the food industry, following the release of research showing that wood outperforms other rival materials.

Researchers in Germany, Denmark and Switzerland inoculated different wood species, including pine and Norway spruce, with bacteria and compared the microbes’ survival rates with bacteria deposited on plastic and steel surfaces. The results, according to UK timber pallet and packaging federation TIMCON, showed conclusively that wood is at least as hygienic, and in some cases more so, than plastic.

“A long-held misconception is that packaging made of wood, which is a porous material, will harbour bacteria and other harmful organisms, which could contaminate food,” said a statement from TIMCON.

But the new research has shown that bacteria do not penetrate wood surfaces, and pressure washing with cold water is an effective cleaning method. This view is also supported by food industry specialists, including the Danish Technological Institute.