Pests are attracted instinctively to food. Consequently, the food industry is one of the most vulnerable sectors that cannot do without pest control to sustain their high food safety standards. Pests are the carriers of a wide variety of illnesses that cause bacteria, viruses, and a host of other species. They pose a threat to the health of the workers involved in food production and storage, to customers.
As far as the food industry is concerned, pests face significant threats. Many of these are listed below:
1. Disease dissemination by the transfer of pathogens
2. Damage to property and facilities
3. Contamination of foodstuffs and stations
4. Bad reputation and loss of credit
5. Prosecution and closure
Integrated Pest Management or IPM is focused on keeping the pests off your food facility instead of focusing on eliminating them once they are inside the facility. In this approach the following steps are involved:
A thorough inspection is the first step in safeguarding the facility. The obvious areas to look at are the areas where the food is-either fresh or packaged. For example, employee break rooms, dock reception, spill-prone areas etc. Among these areas, the inspection of entry and exit points, harbourage zones (cardboard boxes, closets or any other recognized pest hiding and breeding grounds), as well as food and water supplies is also important. A weekly inspection can normally suffice. However, if your facility has a history of plague infestation, it is advisable to increase the frequency and severity of inspections.
This phase typically includes structural maintenance of your facility and is one of the most successful ways to avoid pests from reaching your premises. Ideally, instead, you will seal off the known possible pest entry points after inspection. Sanitation is a simple but important preventive measure that can help to make successful efforts to manage the pests. Keep storage and manufacturing areas clean, dry and organized. Pest-conductive locations should be registered, and appropriate control measures for such areas should be taken.
Every inspection and prevention phase should be properly monitored and recorded. A close eye should be held on the facility following introduction of the preventive measure so that quick organizational improvements can be enforced to better monitor and eradicate any recurrent infestation of the plague. Comprehensive documentation may prove useful for future references. Some of the most important things to note when choosing an Integrated Pest Management system for your facility is that it should be customized to suit your facility's type of infestation, climate, and the nature of your business. It will help to ensure you get the best results possible.
Facility managers are the first line of protection as they are actively involved in tracking potential entry points and infestation signals.
1. Exclusion and sanitation are two of the most important and efficient preventive steps that can be taken by the food industry when it comes to keeping their premises pest free. This ultimately helps avoid infestation and leads to a healthier, more effective and more structured place of work.
2. Eliminate unnecessary handling of the garbage. Follow a strict program to ensure that the grounds inside and outside your food facility stay clean and free from any form of unwanted litter and debris.
3. Seal all possible pest entry points in areas around the pipes such as cracks and crevices, loading docks, foundations, etc.
4. Perform routine inspections in plague-prone areas.
5. Having a perimeter of rock or gravel around the facility can prevent the growth of vegetation that could harbor pests.
Every phase of the food supply chain should be rigorously monitored, from the raw materials to the final packaged goods. Daily inspections and careful management of pests need to be prepared and performed to ensure that the facility meets the required food safety requirements.
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