Food processing facilities require special attention when it comes to pests. It is always unacceptable to see or allow different pests to harbor in such a facility because this can put the business and their product in jeopardy. No business would want to have their customers to find something in the product that is not on the label that would totally hurt their business and ruin their reputation.
For food processing facilities, conducting special measures to ensure the quality of their product and the quality of their environment are always a necessity. Special precautions to avoid different pests from coming inside the facility is always given a priority. However, there are some cases where pests can still infiltrate food processing businesses. To effectively control and eliminate the possibilities of different pests coming into the plant, these businesses should apply an Integrated Pest Management approach to their facilities and create an environment where IPM is always a priority and maintained.
Common Pest Control Issues Experienced by Food Processing Facilities
Rodents
Rodents are the number one headache for the food business industry. These rats and mice can destroy and contaminate food products while also increasing the risk of short-circuits as they chew on cables and insulation. The mess that these little creatures bring, from their feces and urine that leads to an unhealthy environment. Thee destruction they bring can really ruin a business as they have to spend money on cleaning and getting rid of these pests.
Cockroaches
Two of the most common cockroaches found in food processing facilities are the German cockroach and the American cockroach. These two species are strongly addicted to the smell and sight of food, which makes their presence in food facilities hard to deal with. Cockroaches can transmit a variety of diseases and can leave a rusty odor telling about their presence.
Flies
Flies are persistent insects and will continually fly over exposed food. A food processing facility that is unsanitary can greatly increase the chances of having these flying insects around the plant. Flies can get inside the factory or will be contented hovering over garbage and even feces. Most people know that flies are dirty insects and can cause bacterial contamination, such as Salmonella and Cholera pathogens.
Stored produce pests
There are different types of insects that can get in stored products. Thousands of dollars have been wasted because of these pests.
7 Steps of Integrated Pest Management in Food Processing Plants
- Inspection
- Preventive action
- Identification
- Analysis
- Treatment selection
- Monitoring
- Documentation
These 7 steps will require the help of a pest control company that will oversee and monitor the plant. It is necessary that both the staff of the company and the pest control professionals handling the work, to coordinate effectively with each other in order to effectively combat these pests. Since different industries will require different needs, the chosen pest control company should be able to create an IPM that is only designed for a certain food processing plant. Once the system is implemented, this will result for the food processing company to avoid headaches and pain from the damage the pests bring, and the thousands of dollars wasted just to eliminate them in the first place.
If you have a current pest problem in or around your food processing plant, call us today or visit food processing pest control for more info.