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Pests in Food |What are its three common Types?

Food Pest Definition

As pests identify as small creatures which also affect food during food processing. Food Pests are those that can cause food spoilage during processing. They can spoil dry stored food, such as dry pasta, rice, flour, pet food, etc.

Importance of Pest control in the Food Industry

Attraction towards food present in the heredity of pests. Hence, it is already known that it could be possible in food industries during processing. In enterprises, some segments present where proper pest control measures done to achieve meat safety goals. Further, pests recognize as carriers of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and a host of other organisms.

Moreover, insects’ presence in the working area also creates health issues for workers and customers. To better understand pest control in the food industry, we must study types, pest legislations, and SOPs for control.

Pest Legislation

The presence of gadflies on your premises can be harmful to your business. During the visit of any Food Safety Officer or as a result of any complaint, the presence of any insect in the working area is enough to be a reason for the closure of that premises. Worldwide legislation requires pesterers to be excluded from food processing plants and prevent food contamination by taking effective measures to maintain hygiene and adequate documentation. Some recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius working nowadays.

This includes applying today’s effective manufacturing practices and the use of systems such as HACCP (HARPC in the US) to:

Identify points at each stage in the operations critical to food safety, including in the supply chain.
Implement effective control procedures.
Monitor control procedures to ensure their continuing effectiveness
Review control procedures periodically and when changes are made to operations.

Types of Pests in the Food Industry

Although certain pests involve food spoilage during processing, we discuss the three most common food pests that cause health problems for workers and customers. Moreover, these kinds include three groups of pacifiers;

Rodents– rats and mice
Insects- cockroaches, beetles, ants, and flies
Birds- pigeons

Pests in food: RODENTS

Rats and mice can do severe damage. Most importantly, it will spoil or contaminate your food. Their feet pick up dirt and disease from where they walk and carry it to the next walk. It can be counters, food preparation tables, and the food itself. Their fur, urine, and excrement are hazardous to your health because they can transmit disease.

If you have 50 rats in a warehouse or factory, they will eat 23 pounds of food each week. It hurts your bottom line, but the bigger problem is the contaminated food and the risk of getting sick.

Mice and rats carry several diseases, including Salmonella, hantavirus, tularemia, leptospirosis, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV). Besides these hazards, these pests can cause a lot of damage to buildings. Mice and rats’ teeth grow constantly and faster, so they bite through almost anything they can reach to keep rodents under control.

Pests in food: INSECTS

Cockroach and Flies:

When most people think of these two pests, they think of dirt. Since they both breed and eat soil, they are just around the corner. So it’s no surprise that cockroaches carry several bacteria, including streptococci, Salmonella, and staphylococci. They may even contain viruses like polio!

Cockroaches, like flies, will eat almost anything they can get their hands on, including feces.
The bacteria they ingest live in their digestive system and pass through their feces. They also defecate and vomit on their food, and people can get sick if they eat this food. Another pest that vomits up for food is flying. You don’t bite off a snack when sitting on a potato salad at a picnic. Sprinkle with digestive juices to prepare liquid food and drink afterward.

Common info about Flies

Pests in food: BIRDS

The birds may also have a significant “Come in” sign. Also, a warm and cozy building with space for nesting or sitting upstairs will surely bring the pooch. Bird droppings don’t just contaminate food. Because it corrodes concrete and even metal, it can cause structural damage. Keeping them away from home is essential, but making buildings less attractive can interfere with nesting outside, where feathers, hazardous nesting material, and excrement can contaminate packaging or food.

Bird droppings fertilize the soil and promote the growth of Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungus that can cause the respiratory disease Histoplasmosis if inhaled. As if that’s not enough, birds have also been linked to over 60 human pathogens. Pigeons, starlings, and sparrows (common birds commonly encountered in storage and food processing plants) carry Salmonella. The disease is found in bird droppings and can be transmitted to humans by ingestion.

SOPs for Pest control in Food Industry

Furthermore, there are following Strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for pest management.

Appropriate guidelines should be used for all common pesticides stocked in the kitchen.
Store Insecticide in its original packaging.
Store pesticides in an enclosed cabinet and away from food storage and preparation areas.
Store aerosol or pressurized cans in a cool place.

Rodents fight with mechanical traps. Internal mechanical traps should be placed at 5 to 10-meter intervals along the inside perimeter of the building, especially at the entrance from the outside.

Insects fight with electric insect killers. Ensure the Electric Insect Killer is not above or within 3 meters of Health Supplement manufacturing, packaging, or storage areas. Rain. All lights are on 24 hours a day. Traps should be emptied weekly, and surprises with sticky pads should be monitored and replaced as necessary.

Bird activity monitoring; Bird activity is not permitted near and around all raw materials, work in progress, packaging, and storage areas. b. Install sufficient screens on the outside air inlet and outlet to protect them from birds.

Here is a complete guide on how to get rid of unwanted pests.
Also, want to know about Commercial Pest Control Information?

Which Pests are risks to food safety?

All food pests are food safety hazards. Whether they carry disease or not, problems reaching food or cooking areas are unsanitary and risk customers’ health.

Which pest carries Salmonella?

Further, some pesterers carry Salmonella, and these include flies and cockroaches. A dangerous bacteria can cause food poisoning and be more hazardous from a health perspective.