Meat&Poultry - June 2013 - 46

Pushing pests

out

A strategic approach to critter control
by kimberlie Clyma
kclyma@sosland.com

eat and poultry sanitation personnel have their

First, all pest-control programs

work cut out for them during the summer months

need to include written pest-control

as the threat of pests invading food plants increases. As

procedures. These procedures should

temperatures warm up, pests of all kinds are likely to look

include the activities performed to con-

for new homes, so it’s crucial to have an effective pest-

trol each type of pest – different pests require different

control program in place to ensure meat and poultry

control methods. In addition, the procedures should in-

facilities don’t suffer from pest invasions.

clude how often each action should take place (weekly,

All meat and poultry processing facilities, regard-

monthly or annually).

less of size, must have a complete written sanitation pro-

It’s also important that each performed activity be

gram, which must include a section on the control of pests

well-documented. It’s important that records are accu-

including insects, rodents and birds. Good Manufacturing

rate, current and include documentation of inspection

Practices (GMPs) clearly state that pests can’t be pres-

for evidence of pests throughout the plant. A plant’s pest-

ent in a food-processing facility, therefore, management

control program must also clearly identify the person(s)

must be proactive in developing a preventive program to

in charge of pest-control procedures and recordkeeping,

control pests.

in addition to the supervisor responsible for signing off

The first question management must ask is whether
plant personnel will maintain the pest-control program in-

on reviewed records.
An area that could be a challenge for in-house

house or whether the company should hire a professional,

pest-control programs is determining whether

third-party provider. Some factors to consider include:

there truly is a pest problem. For example, occa-

•

Up-front cost – It is usually less expensive to have an

sionally finding a cockroach under a trash can may

in-house pest-control program.

be acceptable, but finding a number of cockroaches may

Time matters – It will take a lot more time for an in-

be a deviation from acceptable and might require inter-

house program than it would take if the company

vention. A proper pest-control program should include

hired a professional pest-control service.

corrective measures, which are written action steps that

Expertise – Pest-control professionals will obviously

will be performed if a pest infestation or basic pest-con-

have more expertise in this area than the in-house

trol needs occur.

•

sanitation staff.
•

Finally, verification and validation is essential to an effective pest-control program. This includes written sci-

critical role in pest-control programs.
•

Recordkeeping – Validation and record tracking is a

entific evidence that the procedures are effective at con-

Equipment and chemicals – If a pest-control com-

trolling pests.

pany is hired, it would take care of obtaining and

This material is often available from pest-control pro-

maintaining any necessary equipment and chemicals.

fessionals, including chemical, trap and pest-control equip-

If a processor chooses to keep the pest-control manage-

ment makers. Verification also includes any documenta-

ment in-house, there are many ways to develop and main-

tion of visual inspection for evidence of pests. ■

tain pest-control programs, according to Kevin Keener,
Ph.D., food-process engineer, extension specialist and
professor of food science at Purdue Univ.

• Meat&Poultry • June 2013 • www.MeatPoultry.com

M&P’s Sanitation Tips are to be used only as guidelines for cleaning and
sanitizing processing facilities. Specific issues and questions should be
addressed by a sanitation crew supervisor.

http://www.MeatPoultry.com

Meat&Poultry - June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat&Poultry - June 2013