Why Pest Control is Important in Food Industry
by Prasad Krishna Swaastik YogaPests 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 209 times.