Engr. Wency H. Carmelo (in red) explains details about the DOST-FPRDI heat treatment process to the accreditation team of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI).
Good news to wooden pallet and crate makers located near Laguna: the Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute’s (DOST-FPRDI) heat treatment (HT) facility is now accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
The facility uses heat in a kiln dryer to kill insect pests infesting wooden pallets and other packaging materials, making it an effective deterrent to the spread of diseases across national borders.
Explains DOST-FPRDI’s Engr. Wency H. Carmelo, “To guarantee that invasive insects and diseases are not passed on from one country to another in the global market, the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15 requires producers of wooden packaging materials to disinfect their pallets and crates. They can do this either thru heat treatment or methyl bromide (MB) fumigation.
“HT is a safer and cheaper means of sterilizing wooden packaging materials compared to MB. High amounts of MB can be fatal and are very damaging to the ozone layer. HT, on the other hand, is relatively harmless and about 50 percent cheaper.”
The ISPM implements very strict policies as insect pests and diseases transported thru global trade have been known to cause massive environmental damage. In the midwestern US, for instance, these ‘agents of destruction’ have once taken over forests and wiped out entire tree species.
According to Carmelo, thru the accreditation of its heat treatment technology, DOST-FPRDI is able to support the country’s export industry as it gives wooden pallet makers an effective, safe and affordable way to meet global sanitary standards.
Interested parties who may want to avail of the Institute’s HT service may send an email to: Dr. Romulo T. Aggangan, DOST-FPRDI Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. (Rizalina K. Araral, March 22, 2023) ###
