Food Manufacturing and Packaging Pest Control

1. Stored Products Insects

This generic term covers multiple species of insects, including beetles, weevils, moths, mites and others. A study that looked at 1,000 companies in 5 countries found out that these insects caused the most economic damage to food processing businesses. 60% of the companies that had pests reported annual revenue losses of 1 to 9 %, while 73% of the business owners were highly or moderately concerned about revenue loss because of pests.

The most susceptible products to these types of insects are cereals, seeds, nuts, spices, teas, dried fruits and even preserved meats. Some of these insects can enter the packaging through tiny holes that may not even be visible upon initial inspection. Even if these insects do not consume a large quantity of the product, they will contaminate the entire package through faeces, shed skin, cocoons and so on.

Not only this, but pests in some ingredients can make them change their properties and then cause damage to the production lines and machineries. Replacement costs can be very high and can also lead to fines or closure.

Signs of stored products insects include: damaged goods, holes in products or packaging, live or dead insects, larvae and silken webbing on products, packages, food spillages, beams or window sills.

2. Rodents

Rats and mice are very attracted by food manufacturing facilities, as they can find plenty of food and nesting materials here. They can multiply very fast if they have all the right conditions and can cause a lot of damage. Not only they will eat and destroy the food, but some rats can also damage the sewer systems and electrical equipment.

If they get on the production line they can even damage the machineries and cause downtime that is very expensive. They can also make a lot of mess everywhere with urine, droppings and various materials picked along the way. But they will also contaminate the food and some species can carry very dangerous and even deadly diseases. Besides all of this, the rats themselves carry other pests such as ticks, fleas, lice and mites.

Signs of rodents include; droppings of various sizes, sightings of live or dead rats or mice, squeaky noises or gnawing sounds, smudge marks caused by their wet and oily fur, tracks in dust or powder, gnawed marks on materials, urine stains or smell.

3. Cockroaches

They are small and able to hide in tiny places, yet they can feed a lot and reproduce very fast. Not to mention that they can also carry dangerous diseases such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Listeria, E. coli, and also fungi, viruses and parasitic worms. The most common species in food processing plants are:

• The German Cockroach
• The American Cockroach
• The Oriental Cockroach

They are nocturnal creatures and stay hidden in the daytime, getting out at night in search of food. They can shelter in spots that are hard to reach with the usual cleaning methods, such as cracks, crevices, sewers, drains and even inside of equipment.

Their droppings and body secretions will stain and leave a very bad smell, and they can also contaminate foods and packages with their cast skins and egg cases. They shed their skin and droppings are also allergens and can trigger asthma attacks for some people.

3. Flies

Various species of flies are attracted to the odours around food processing plants, and each species has different habits. Some are attracted to sugars, others to oils and fats, vegetable matter or decaying meat. Flies can multiply very fast and can carry more than 100 pathogens that cause serious diseases in humans.

3. Birds

The most common birds found around food facilities are pigeons, seagulls, starlings and house sparrows. They can cause damage to roof tiles and also block guttering with their nests and feathers. Not to mention the nasty droppings they can leave on buildings, vehicles and paved areas.

If they nest inside, their droppings and feathers can contaminate machinery and foods with various parasites including Salmonella, E Coly and Campylobacter.