Pallets have been around for so long you'd think there could be nothing new to say about them. But for those in the grocery, food manufacturing, or pharmaceutical industry, there is indeed some news to report on the pallet front: the first steel pallet has been approved for use in those industries.

Worthington Steelpac says its new Steelpac Distribution Pallet is the first lightweight, flame-resistant steel pallet to meet the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) capacity and compatibility standards. The manufacturer touts several advantages, including the unit's weight (10 pounds lighter than traditional wooden pallets), its 40,000-pound static load capacity, and the fact that it will not attract or harbor insects. The pallet's durability might make the Man of Steel himself envious: Twelve months of testing at big-box and packaged-goods retailers produced a damage rate below 5 percent, and another test turned up no damage after two years and 52 turns, says the manufacturer.