The Importance of Pest Control in the Food Industry
The more sensitive element to be focused on the food industry is the pest invasion. Pests often visit in our living area to consume the eatables of our leftovers or fresh foods also. Then, think about the food industry where tons of eatables are produced, and that needs to be kept safe.
Below are a few commonly found pests in the food industry.
- Rodents
- Cockroaches
- Flies
- Moths
- Beetles and sometimes,
- Rats also in the list of pests.
For years, pests are one of the biggest threats in the food industry because the foods fall under the health concerned factor. If it is not treated or controlled at the right time, then the after effect will be overwhelming for us to manage.
How severe will be the effect of pests in the food industry?
What will be the effect and how much will be the effect of pests in the food industry is unpredictable. Below are a few common concerns that are often observed in the food industry due to pest effect.
- There is a chance of spreading contagious diseases because the pests invade from other places, and we do not know from where the pests came.
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- Pests like rats & mice, for coming inside the food place or going out of the area, they will make holes in the places where they feel like barriers. Sometimes, they tend to bite electrical wires, which affects the production of food products for days.
- The contamination of food and its by-products are unavoidable when you find the invasion of pests. Before you try to control or prevent the parasites, the food would have contaminated. So, it is advisable to change or clean the entire food manufactured.
- In the market, a small concern about the food product will cause severe damage to the reputation of the company and the brand. The so built name for the brand will be brought down in seconds.
- It will not stop with spoiling the reputation of the concern, but also there will be legal actions taken against the concern, and it will lead to closure.
Preventive measures before the pest attack
‘Prevention is better than cure.’ Keeping that in mind, we should take necessary steps to prevent the pest invasion, instead of taking steps after pest infestation to our industry.
1# The area should be inspected
Frequent inspections in the locality where foods are stored as raw materials or final food packed materials. These are the critical areas to be focused on. Apart from that, the areas where the food spilling is noticed continuously. This area also to be focused.
The food materials which are coming inside the factory and exiting the factory as a complete product should be inspected to be aware that the right products are served to customers.
The water supplies inside the industry have to be inspected at regular intervals. There are a lot more possibilities for the pests to invade the industry by means of water.
2# Sealing and checking the pest invasion areas
This is another preventive measure to be taken to avoid pest invasion in our factory. The areas where the pests can invade more likely have to be well inspected and sealed if you suspect thee is pest entry. All the entry points like, plumbing works, exhaust places should be inspected at regular intervals.
If you suspect the pest invasion symptoms, then doing the inspection often is advisable to keep the safety measures high.
3# Record maintenance
When an inspection is done, that has to be recorded and updated if there is an internal system. There should regular inspections, and data has to be maintained for that. This helps the industry to focus on pest control activities regularly.
If there are no proper records, then it will become difficult for the factory to have control on the pest invasion activities.
General preventive measures for pest control
Below are the three essential points to be done to get control of the pests.
Elimination – Any wastes in the food industry is the first enemy of the workplace. There is no workplace without residues. So, take the necessary steps to eliminate the wastes as soon as possible to keep the area fro pest control.
Cleanliness – Always keep the workplace clean. There is no other better way to eliminate pests from the industry. When a process is completed, immediately clean the place and make it tidy.
Pest control service – When you find, calling pest control service is the only way to get rid of pests, then call our Xyz company to offer you a better service. We have certified and experienced professionals to handle all kinds of pest control services.