ISPM15 regulations

What is ISPM15 treatment?

Over recent years the globalized market has led to an escalation of trade between various countries. Wooden packaging materials have often been the vehicle by which harmful organisms have been introduced to and spread through new environments. This is why it became necessary to adopt some phytosanitary measures, in order to reduce the risk of possible infestation that would have a considerable economic and environmental impact on forests throughout the world.

The phytosanitary measures that one can take are:

  • . banning imports (assuring the maximum degree of phytosanitary safety but blocking trade throughout the world);
  • . introducing specific phytosanitary requirements (pest-free areas);
  • . requiring phytosanitary certificates (issued by NPPO);
  • . entry inspection (but this requires considerable human resources for inspection);
  • . treatment before shipment.

Treatment before shipment is the measure chosen by IPPC and is also the basis of the International Standard ISPM-15.

Briefly, according to this standard, raw-wood packaging must be treated thermally (HT) and then certified with the IPPC/FAO symbol.

This symbol has to be controlled by a certification system for companies in the production chain of wood packaging and treatment.

To understand what stringent requirements are involved in ISPM15 certification, here below you can find an explanation of the rules on the official Fitok website:

  1. What:

IPPC International convention for the vegetal protection is a multilateral treaty aimed to unify the rules concerning imports that may cause a negative impact on forests and crops conditions.

ISPM1-15 is a standard of IPPC describing the phytosanitary measures intended to reduce the risk of introduction and or spreading of harmful quarantine organisms of conifers and broad-leaved raw wood packaging material, used in international trade. Pest organisms, such as pine nematode (existing in Usa, Canada, Mexico and Japan without causing any problem because of the presence of natural predators) and the long horn Asian beetle (existing in China and in many other countries and threatening the American forests).

  1. Who:

IPPC's aim is to protect crops and forests by eliminating the importation of foreign invasive organisms while not impeding international trade.

  1. Why:

ISPM-15 rules were initially approved by 118 countries, including USA and by the majority of our main commercial partners. Since July 13th 2005 the competent authority in Italy is of the Consorzio Servizi Legno-Sughero (Wood-Cork Services Consortium), under the direct control of the Servizio Fitosanitario Regionale (NPPO) Regional Phytosanitary service.

  1. When

The ISPM-15 regulations were approved in March 2002, but were suspended in June of that year as the symbol chosen to demonstrate certification (an insect with a red slash over it) was already under copyright by others. In 2003 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the supervising body for the treaty, decided to protect the regulations by instating a new symbol and reactivated self-regulation of these rules with voluntary participation. The regulations were later revised in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

  1. How

IPPC compliance means that the wood packaging material has to be thermally treated, so that the internal temperature of the wood reaches at least 59.5°C for no less than 30 minutes.

Packaging that is directly treated or made of treated material is then identified by an IPPC/FAO – FITOK symbol (click here to see the symbols). The authorized companies are subject to independent third -party surprise controls.

  1. N.B.

ISPM-15 requirements apply to every kind of wood packaging material made from conifers and deciduous trees. Since 2006 our company has its own thermal-treatment kiln and treats all of the products destined for export directly. This allows us to avoid extra steps (and extra uncertainty) with outsourcing the treatment, so we can guarantee that proper treatment and sterilization has taken place.

All of our products are treated in a oven that slowly (4 to 5 hours) reaches the optimal temperature of 59.5°C and maintains that temperature for the required 30 minutes.

Once sterilization is complete, the material is branded with our FITOK certification symbol IT-09-020 and with a code that refers to the specific treatment date so each piece is completely traceable. Upon delivery the customer will be given, together with the waybill, a chart of the final 30 minutes of sterilization and the documents attesting to our certification.

If you need to ship outside of the EU don't risk with pallets or shipping materials of dubious origin or uncertain sterilization – you can trust in Nardi & Banti to help you prepare your shipment every step of the way!

Our FITOK certification number:

Authorized entity: FITOK IT-09-020

Fitok ispm15