A pest infestation in a restaurant or food business indicates a failure to keep pests out, which can have disastrous consequences. Pest infestations can harm your brand’s reputation and drive away customers. Pest infestation can also lead to noncompliance with food safety standards and regulations. That is why it is so vital to take preventative measures to keep pests out.
As a food safety professional, I will discuss some of the most important steps you can take to keep pests out of your food business in this article. Most importantly, I will discuss regulations, common pests, and pest control. By following these tips, it will help to keep your food business pest-free.
What Are the Food Regulations You Should Be Aware of?
As a food safety professional, I am also qualified to help you with all your business needs. A serious issue I come across while inspecting premises is when food businesses have a pest infestation. Due to a lack of implementing a proper pest control program. This could essentially lead to a compromise on food safety, as pests can carry and transmit various types of diseases.
It is crucial for restaurants and other food businesses to understand their responsibilities regarding the prevention of food contamination as well as not allowing pests to enter the premises.
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Australia only): clause 24(1)(b) and (c) of Standard 3.2.2: Food Safety Practices and General Requirements: Division 6—Miscellaneous—states that a food business must take practicable measures to prevent pests entering the food premises, to eradicate pests, and to prevent the harbourage of pests on the food premises, including vehicles used to transport food.
It is also important to verify if your food suppliers have pest control programs in place.
What impact does a pest infestation have on your food business?
- Customers can take legal action if they become ill from consuming your food.
- Damage to your reputation and brand.
- Damage your supplies and packaging, electrical wiring, and building fixtures.
- Increase the cost of operating your food business.
- Negative media coverage.
- In Victoria, for instance, the Department of Health has the food safety register of convictions on their website.
Some of the Most Common Pests in Restaurants and Other Food Establishments.
Rodents, crawling insects, stored product pests, and flying insects are some of the most common pests I find in restaurants and other food businesses when conducting food safety inspections, risk-based assessments, or investigating food poisoning cases. It is worth mentioning that these pests are not often sighted during annual inspections as a result of food business owners undertaking pest management measures.
Rodents: Understanding Behaviour and Signs of Infestation to Keep Pests Out
- There are three main types of species: house mouse, roof rat, and Norway rat.
- They can breed rapidly.
- Rodents can enter food premises via holes in the ceiling and walls and gaps under doors and roller doors.
Crawling Insects: Understanding Behaviour and Signs of Infestation to Keep Pests Out
- There are four main types of cockroaches: the German Cockroach, the Australian Cockroach, the American Cockroach, and the Smoky Brown Cockroach.
- Cockroaches tend to be nocturnal.
- Cockroaches have been sighted in cracks and crevices inside cupboards and under and around dishwashers. Also below sinks, near leaking taps, and plumbing fixtures. Additionally, inside the electrical motors of bench fridges, drains, and shelving.
- There are three main types of ants: black house ants, coastal brown ants, and white-footed house ants.
- Ants have been sighted inside cupboards, on shelves, and on food preparation benches. Also, in cracks.
Stored Product Pests: Understanding Behaviour and Signs of Infestation to Keep Pests Out
- These pests include saw-toothed grain beetles, rice weevils, biscuit (or drugstore) beetles, and the Indian meal moth.
- Stored Product Pests can be found in flour, pasta, biscuits, chocolates, cheese, processed meats, cereals, muesli, milk powder, and dried fruit. In particular, by entering opened packaging or chewing through various types of packaging, contaminating the food products.
Flying Insects: Understanding Behaviour and Signs of Infestation to Keep Pests Out
- There are three main types of flies: houseflies, blowflies, and the fermentation fly.
- Flies carry and spread various types of diseases that can contaminate food, equipment, utensils, and surfaces where food is being prepared.
- Flies have been sighted in drains, near leaking plumbing fixtures, and coffee machines.
Pest Management Plan
What exactly constitutes a pest management plan?
A pest management plan is about implementing an effective pest control program. This particularly involves preventing the entry of pests into your food establishments, monitoring them, and controlling them. This can be achieved by using a professional pest controller or by self-monitoring for pests.
Preventive actions to keep pests out
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- Seal all gaps, cracks, and holes on floors, walls, ceilings, and fixtures throughout the food premises.
- Provide door strips or edges for entry and exit doors to keep pests out.
- Ensure windows and door fly screens are not damaged.
- Install self-closing doors to keep pests out.
- Inspect delivery trucks and vans on deliveries of supplies.
- Clean the floor drains regularly. Ensure floor drain covers are correctly fitted.
- Repair any leaking taps and plumbing fixtures.
- Clean and sanitize all areas where food is handled, including food processing areas.
- Implement good hygiene practices.
- Remove all food products off the floor and place them on shelving for easy cleaning.
- Use approved food-grade containers with lids.
- Perform a regular stock rotation.
- Remove any extraneous items or equipment no longer in use from the premises.
- Ensure the yard and garbage areas are in a clean and hygienic state. Keep the lids down on skips and rubbish bins to discourage pests.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is in place.
pest management plan documentation
It is important to have documentation of your pest control program. A food business can self-monitor for pests or engage a professional pest controller. The pest control report must include any pest activity, treatments, dates of inspections, and recommended actions. Environmental health officers or auditors may need to see your records and invoices for proof.
What are the methods used in pest management?
There are many different methods used in pest management practices. It is important that whatever type of pest control is used is not above food preparation areas and does not contaminate food or food contact surfaces.
Glue boards (also known as glue traps), mouse and rat traps, and poisonous baits are used to eliminate the infestation of rodents. Please note that the use of glue traps for trapping animals is prohibited in Victoria.
Cockroach bait (liquid, gel, solid, or bait station), dusting powders, and surface sprays (not on food-handling surfaces) are used to eliminate the infestation of cockroaches.
Dusting powders, liquid bait, gel, and granules are used to treat ant infestations.
Electronic fly killers and time-release aerosols are used to eliminate flies. Please note that they should not be near food preparation areas or food. The latter could be used in garbage rooms.
How do I select a professional pest control operator?
In Victoria, for instance, pest control operators are required to comply with the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 in relation to the licensing requirements. There are conditions applied to the pest control license. Please check the relevant Australian Acts, Regulations, and other legislation in your state.
There are a few key things to think about when searching for a licensed pest control service provider.
- Obtain several quotes from pest control services.
- Is the technician appropriately qualified and licensed to do the pest management? Do a search on the pest control license holder’s register. The pest control license will have a photo ID and an expiration date. Different types of authorizations are listed on the back of their license.
- What type of pests will be treated as part of the contract?
- Does the pest control business comply with the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association standards?
- Does the written report include information regarding pest activity, treatments used, and recommendations?
- Ensure the pest control business provides you with a pest sighting register for your staff to use if they notice any pest activity.
- Make sure all bait stations are numbered and easily located.
- Does the pest control business use registered pesticides?
- Ask for Material Safety Data Sheets in the event of any spillages or poisoning.
- Check if the pest control business has public liability and professional indemnity insurance.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, by implementing a pest control program, maintaining cleanliness and good hygiene practices, sealing all gaps and entry points, and regularly monitoring and recognising signs of pests, you can significantly reduce the risk of infestations. Therefore, be proactive and prioritise pest control measures to ensure the success and reputation of your restaurant or food business.
For a deeper understanding of how my unique combination of qualifications – spanning public health, science, and business – can support your food business, read my latest blog post here.
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