Why Pest Control is Important in Food Industry

Pests tend to draw towards food. Thus, the food industry is one of the most vulnerable sectors that can't do without pest control to maintain a high level of food safety. Pests carry various diseases causing viruses, bacteria, and other organisms. They are a big threat to the health of people involved in the handling and processing of food for consumers.

Want to know why pest control is important in the food industry? Here, you will get to learn as this post outlines all types of pests, the threats they cause, and what measures you can take to control and prevent them. Let's dive in.

What are the Common Pests in the Food Industry?

The type of pests vary depending on the location, climate, and food ingredients processed. Pest control in the food industry needs species identification so the most effective treatment methods are implemented for desirable results. Here are the most common pests found in the food industry:

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are the most loathed pests and can carry six types of parasitic worms, seven types of human pathogens, and minimum thirty-three types of bacteria. They tend to hide in small services and pick up germs and debris on their legs when crawling via sewage and other unclean areas that increase the chances of contamination.

Flies

Different types of flies carry over a hundred hazardous pathogens. They tend to breed in decaying garbage, and moist dirty environments and then spread on fresh food, processing, manufacturing, and other workplaces, thus contaminating them by spreading disease-causing bacteria. They attract contaminated elements in their bodies and mouthparts when they eat.

Birds

Birds cause severe physical damage blocking gutters with fathers and nests, and dislodging roof tiles, mainly the larger birds. Bird feathers and droppings can contaminate food and preparation areas. Droppings are poisonous and transmit hazardous pathogens, such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Salmonella and Campylobacter are some common disease-causing microorganisms. Their nesting sites encourage arthropod infestation, such as bird mites, fleas, and even some beetle species.

Rodents

Rodent control is a common issue in the food industry. Signs of a rodent infestation are droppings, gnawing sounds, visual sightings, wires gnawing, insulation, and urine stains visible in UV light. They are known for their rapid breeding capacity. The common rodent infestation risks are damage to machinery, electronic equipment, food packaging, containers, and the transmission of harmful parasites, which increase the risk of critical diseases.

Why is Pest Control Important for the Food Industry?

Pests expose the food industry to the threats below:

·         Disease spread through a transfer of pathogens

·         Property damage

·         Food contamination

·         Poor reputation

·         Credit loss

·         Prosecution

·         Closure

How Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Can Help?

IPM focuses on keeping the pests away from your food facility rather than eliminating them once they are in the facility. The IPM process involves the following steps:

Inspection

A detailed inspection is a foremost step in protecting your facility. The places where you should check are those where food is either raw or packaged. You should also examine the entry and exit points, harborage zones, and food and water sources. A weekly inspection can always work. If your facility has a history of pest infestation, you should level up the intensity and frequency of inspections.

Preventive Action

A preventative action includes your facility's structural maintenance as that helps to prevent the entry of pests into your premises. Thus, you should perfectly seal off the potential entry points of pests after infection. Sanitation is a primary yet crucial preventative step that increases the effectiveness of control. Clean and dry the production and storage areas. Record pest-contaminated areas and take proper control measures for such areas.

You should monitor and document all steps of inspection and prevention.

Once preventive actions are implemented, keep an eye on your facility so you can implement procedural changes to control and eliminate repeated pest infestation. Detailed documentation can help future references. You should remember to customize the IMP suited to the type of infestation, facility environment, and business nature to get the desired results.

What are the Most Effective Prevention Measures?

Facility managers are the front line of defense in pest control as they are closely involved in the monitoring of common entry points and signs of infestation. Sanitation and exclusion are two of the primary and potent preventive measures in the food industry to maintain pest-free premises. These preventative measures help prevent infestation and create a more safe, more organized, and more efficient workplace.

Here are the most effective prevention measures you can take:

·         Eliminate improper garbage disposal and follow a specific system to ensure that the interior and exterior premises of your food facility stay clean and free from any kind of extra clutter and debris.

·         Seal all possible pest entry points such as crevices and cracks and in areas surrounding the pipes, foundations, and loading docks.

·         Conduct frequent inspections of areas prone to pest infestation.

·         Have a rock or gravel perimeter surrounding the facility as that will discourage the growth of vegetation that could harbor pests.

·         Monitor all steps of food supply chain management, starting from raw materials to the final packaging of goods. You should schedule and conduct inspections and pest management every day to ensure your facility fulfills the mandatory food safety regulations.

·         Ensure your facility is free from risks related to pest infestation by availing of commercial pest control services. We follow an all-inclusive pest management approach to control pests in the food industry and get exceptional results. You should call and hire professionals to conduct an inspection or any other pest control requirements for your food processing and handling facility as and when required.

Hopefully, this post helped you in understanding why pest control is important in the food industry. Max Care of India comes with highly skilled, trained, reliable, and dedicated professionals. We offer high-quality pest control services across Mumbai and understand the importance of protecting your home and business from pest infestations and damages. Thus, our experts do the job right the first time so you can rest assured that we have fixed your issues perfectly.

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Created on Oct 31st 2022 00:13. Viewed 208 times.

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