Pest Control in Food Businesses

Pest control; It is the work carried out to prevent the entry of pests to businesses, especially to businesses in the food and retail sector, to ensure the destruction of existing pests and to prevent the re-entry of pests in the future. These pest control studies can be applied both inside and outside the enterprise. (Like production areas, storage areas, technical areas, social facilities, outdoor areas.)

It is essential to ensure food safety in food businesses. One of the most important steps in ensuring the said food safety is Pest control, which we often hear about in prerequisite programs. It is the priority of the business to ensure that the food travels safely in the entire process, starting from the production until it reaches the table of the consumer. Pest control management is included in the ÖGP instructions, which play an important role in providing the hygienic environment needed in food production. Creatures such as cockroaches, flies, mice, ants and birds carry viruses and bacteria. These bacteria they carry can contaminate the contact surfaces of foods in production and storage. As a result of this contamination, which leads to the deterioration of the purity of the food and the proliferation of bacteria, the business that carries out the production may suffer serious damage. So that; consumer complaints may occur, product returns may occur, and even the production facility may be closed.

In food businesses, the entry of pests into the business can be prevented by different methods and pest control can be achieved. We can list these methods used as follows.

- Physical barriers: Doors and windows with a design that do not allow the entry of pests can prevent the entry of pests into the establishment.

- Chemical barriers: Thanks to the chemicals that kill or remove the pests, the entry of the pest into the enterprise can be prevented. If a poison bait station, which is one of the chemical barriers, is to be placed for pest control, these stations should not be located in production and storage areas under any circumstances. Toxic bait stations must be used outside the facility in a locked state.

- Indoor Pest control: In order to avoid the humid, dark and hot environment that pests like to live in, it may be necessary to increase ventilation by reducing the humidity level in businesses.

- Regular cleaning: Thanks to the cleaning practices applied at specified intervals and the provision of the necessary hygiene environment, the sanitation required for pest control is realized.

- Professional help: It will be beneficial for the business to work with experts in the field about preventing the entry of pests into businesses from outside. Thanks to this professional help, applications that will provide Pest control such as spraying are carried out.

Pest control increases the efficiency and productivity of the business and reduces operating costs. In addition, the financial strength of the enterprise is preserved by preventing the damage caused by pests. The presence of pests, especially in the food production and retail sectors, reduces the quality of products and reduces customer satisfaction. Therefore, Pest control is of great importance. Measures that can be taken to prevent damages caused by pests reduce the costs of the business as well as make the business more efficient. Prevention of pests is also important in terms of business health and safety. Preventing diseases caused by pests protects the health of employees and increases the efficiency of the enterprise.

You can access the Prerequisite Programs document, including Pest control, by clicking the link below;

https://suswise.com/discover/documents/ogp-instructions-510627