Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are designed to assure that food products are produced under hygienic conditions, and that microbiological, chemical and physical hazards are prevented. Establishing procedures for pest control is an important component of GMPs.

Pests are harmful organisms and can cost the food industry billions of dollars each year. The presence of pest in food premises is unacceptable as pests carry a range of pathogens, which can contaminate food and food contact surfaces. Consumption of food and water contaminated by rat and cockroaches may lead to food poisoning and other infectious diseases. 

The pests of primary concern are insects and rodents and they are responsible to spread disease through foods. Rodents and insects carry pathogenic bacteria both internally and on their bodies. Birds sometimes may become a problem in food processing area and pose a potential public health hazard also. 

INSECTS

Crawling insects: The most common types of this group that infest food processing plants are cockroaches. It has been demonstrated that many of them carry different approximately 50 pathogenic microorganisms including Salmonella spp, Vibrio cholera and polymyelitis. They prefer carbohydrate rich foods but they may feed on any substance that man consumes. They also consume human waste, decaying materials, dead insects, paper and wood material as feed. They are more active at night and in dark areas where human activities are less. Cockroaches are hidden in small spaces in and between equipment and shelves and under shelf liners. Cockroaches reproduce so rapidly that small egg cases containing 15-40 eggs are produced monthly. 

Identification of cockroach species helps to determine proper insect control techniques.  

German cockroach: This type of cockroach (Blatella germanica) is the most common one around the world. They commonly infest food restaurants, food processing rooms as well as storage areas, offices, lockers and rest rooms. 

American cockroach: These species (Periplaneta americana) are the largest cockroach, approximately 40-60 mm long. Female live up to 18 months and may produce approximately 430 offspring. They are most frequently found in basements, storage rooms, garbage, and drainage areas.

Oriental cockroach: The insect (Blatta orientali) grows to approximately 25 mm long. Female produce 80 young through their lifetime of five to six months. They prefer a habitat similar to American cockroach. 

Flying insects: Housefly and field fly are the most common types of flying insects. Although they are seasonal, they may be prevalent year around in warm climates. Houseflies are common worldwide and can carry thousands of pathogenic bacteria that can cause human diseases. A housefly lays approximately 120 eggs within a week of mating. 

Detection of insects: The easiest method for checking cockroach infestation is to enter a darkened area and or storage room and then turn on the lights. A strong oily odour is also an indicator of their presence. Their faeces as small, black or brown droppings may be found almost everywhere they have been. 

RODENTS 

Rats: Rats transfer many diseases such as leptospirosis, murine typhus, and salmoneIlosis to man and compete intensively with human’s food. One drop of a rat can carry millions of harmful microorganisms. Dried droppings may be carried into food by air movement. 

Rats are dangerous and destructive. In some countries rats may consume up to 35 per cent of harvestable crop. In addition, they invade stored products as well. 

The female rat becomes fertile within 6-8 weeks after birth and is capable of one litter per month with 6-10 young each litter. Most rats usually live for 1 year and consume approximately 20 kg of food during their lifetime. 

Mice: They are able to enter a building through a hole as small as a nickel. Like rats mice can swim through floor drains and toilet bowl traps. Mice are also filthy as rodents and can spread various diseases. They can survive on water derived from food. They are easily carried into food premises in crates and cartons. 

Indications of rat infestation: Faecal droppings are one of the most important indicators of rodent infestation. The size of rat and house mouse droppings are 13-19 mm length and 6 mm diameter, and approximately 3 mm long and 1 mm diameter respectively. 

Rats and mice tend to be inactive during daylight hours. Although many of the experts believe that visual sightings of rats are not very reliable indicators, it is possible to observe rats at night with a flashlight. 

Noises, smudge marks, urine stains and odour are also indicators of rat infestation. 

Bird infestation: Birds are potential carriers of mites, mycosis, pseudotuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, Salmonella and organisms that cause encephalitis and other diseases. Their droppings carry plenty of microorganisms detrimental to humans. 

CONTROL 

Pests should be destroyed without chemicals, if feasible, because of the potential danger of pesticides. But these techniques are not always as effective as it should be. Therefore, it is necessary to use pesticides. The best method for the control of insect infestation centres on good sanitation or housekeeping with the use of pesticides under the supervision of a licensed operator. An integrated chemical control and sanitary practices can be more effective and more economical. 

Top management should identify a responsible competent person to develop a pest prevention and control programme and give them the necessary support to carry it out. The pesticides should be used in accordance with label instructions. Person who applies pesticides in the plant has a responsibility to use the right and approved pesticide, to apply it correctly (according to label instructions), and to be certain there is no hazard to man or the environment. 

Insect control: Effective insect control can be done by: elimination of their harbourage areas; elimination of their food and water (cockroaches come out into the light when food and water sources of them were eliminated); preventing their entrance to the plant by proper screening; storing foods 15-20 cm off the floor; leaving aisles at least 50cm along the walls; removing cartons and boxes from the premises as soon as the supplies have been unpacked; instruction of air currents (they frequently carry flies a much greater distance than they normally travel); installing self-closing doors (the doors should remain open for minimal amounts of time); use of electric fly traps if flies have entered a facility; run all day, and clean the catch basin daily; and destruction of insects with insecticides. 

IPM - EFFECTIVE APPROACH 

Integrated pest control programmes based on predicted ecological and economic consequences have been developed because of limitations of chemical pesticides. This programme is called integrated pest management (IPM). The major objective of IPM is to control pests economically through environmentally sound techniques. IPM implies that pests are ‘managed’ and not necessarily 
eliminated. 

IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programmes use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

IPM approach is not a single pest control method but, rather, a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls. In practicing IPM, we have to undertake the following steps:-
Pest action thresholds:  It is the limit at which pest population or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. The level at which pests will either become an economic threat is critical to guide future pest control decisions.

Identification of the pest: IPM programmes work to monitor pests and identify them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This monitoring and identification removes the possibility that pesticides will be used when they are not really needed or that the wrong kind of pesticide will be used.

Prevention measures: As a first line of pest control, IPM programmes work to prevent pests from becoming a threat.

Control: Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that pest control is required, and preventive methods are no longer effective or available, IPM programmes then evaluate the proper control method both for effectiveness and risk. Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first, including highly targeted chemicals, such as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such as trapping or weeding. If further monitoring, identifications and action thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not working, then additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.

Masa offers reliable pest control services which are delivered by our expert team of highly skilled pest control technicians. All our services are tailored to individual needs of the business to ensure best possible results. Our expert team will partake in detailed discussions with the involved representative of the premise prior to starting any work to establish the required frequency and level of service that is required.

A member of 13 international pest control associations, Masa exerts every effort to boost public awareness of the pest hazards in premises and urges the public to cooperate with a professional pest control operator to maintain a healthy environment. Its methods are based on 36 -years of service to the public and environment.