Pest management in food-handling and other specialized

facilities requires special consideration because of:

1. The types of pest problems involved.

2. Certain unusual medical or aesthetic requirements.
3. Unique structural features of the facilities.
4. Presence of very favorable conditions for pests
because of the type of work or operation involved.
5. Limitations of what pest management techniques
can be used.
In all pest management situations, it is critical to be
familiar with the state and federal laws governing pesticide
use and to follow pesticide label directions precisely.
A properly designed pest management program must
include the basic steps of inspection, treatment (or application
of pest management procedures), communication,
and continual follow-up.

PEST MANAGEMENT IN FOOD-HANDLING

ESTABLISHMENTS

Commercial food establishments must comply with the high standards enforced by
various government agencies, for example, sanitation standards enforced by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and pesticide regulations enforced by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). Food-handling establishments are defined as an area or place other than a private
residence in which food is held, processed, prepared, and/or served. (Held includes displayed for
sale as well as stored.) Included are such places as restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores,
cafeterias, school lunchrooms, food-processing plants, food storage areas, etc.

Laws and Regulations

All food processors are subject to the federal Food,Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938
(FD&C Act) and its subsequent amendments. It is a violation of federal law if manufactured food
products contain any objectionable General Pest Management.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completely studying this chapter, you should:

_ Understand why different types of facilities require

special pest management considerations.
_ Understand the federal and state laws that affect pest
management in food-handling and other specialized
facilities.
_ Know which areas to inspect for proper sanitation in
food-handling establishments.
_ Know which type of treatments can be applied to
food and non-food areas.
_ Know which types of facilities require specialized
integrated pest management (IPM) programs.
_ Know the key pests and the specialized pest management
techniques required for each type of facility.
_ Understand the importance of on-going communication,
monitoring, record keeping, and follow-up when
managing pests in specialized facilities.
SECTION 1
CHAPTER
Extraneous matter. This means that action can be brought
against a food processor (and even against the pest management
company servicing the operation) if insects or other potential sources of contamination are found
in or near equipment, ingredients, or finished products. If the potential for contamination exists,
the product may be
deemed contaminated. Food processors are expected to follow the good management practices
(GMPs) established.
to determine compliance with the FD&C Act. However, the FDA has established defect action
levels for food products in recognition of the fact that it is impossible to attain zero levels of pest
contamination even when GMPs are in place. These levels represent the maximum allowable
levels for defects, such as the presence of insect fragments, mold, or rodent hairs. If tests show
that defect action levels have been exceeded, enforcement action can be taken. In addition to
sanitation, the use of pesticides can help ensure that defect action levels are not reached.
However, the GMP regulations do not allow any of the pesticides used in pest management
operations to contaminate any food, surface, or packaging materials. For most pesticides, any
level of residue in finished food constitutes an illegal residue. Therefore, most pesticides must be
used in ways (such as crack and crevice application) that ensure no residues in food or packaging
materials. Food plants involved in meat, poultry, egg, and egg products processing and
operations must operate under even more detailed and stringent U.S. Department of Agriculture
regulations, which require frequent inspections. As extensive as these regulations are, a great
deal is still left up to the discretion of the USDA inspector in charge.

This regulatory process works as follows:

_ Many pesticides cleared by the EPA for use in food handling establishments either are not
permitted for use in USDA-inspected food plants or are permitted but can be applied only under
specific conditions
and preparations. This is a case where the pesticide label does not reflect the only applicable law.

_ To determine what pesticides can be considered for USDA-inspected plants, the pest
management professional must consult the “USDA’s List of Proprietary Substances and Non-
Food Compounds Authorized for Use under USDA Inspection and Grading Programs.”
_ In some cases, a USDA inspector in charge may not permit the use of a pesticide in a plant
even though it may be on the list of proprietary substances. As an example, an inspector may
allow the use of certain types of pesticides only when the plant is in nonproduction status.
_ Where pest problems are serious, the USDA may temporarily waive its restrictions on the use
of certain pesticides and permit their use, but only under USDA direction.

Sanitation and Inspection

Sanitation is the most important aspect of pest management in food-handling facilities. Food
processing plants are subject to FDA or USDA sanitation inspections, depending on the type of
facility. The pest management professional should be aware of the problem areas that FDA or
USDA inspectors look for. Pest control technicians must conduct a thorough inspection of the
facility and notify the plant manager of potential or existing
problems. This allows steps to be taken to prevent or correct problems before they are detected
by regulatory inspectors or before complaints are received from customers. Some areas to inspect
for real or potential pest problems in food-handling establishments follow.

Exterior areas:
• Pest harborages under objects lying or stored directly
on the ground
• Garbage-handling systems (storage, containers,
cleaning methods, and trash handling)
• Proper drainage
• Weed control (Weeds provide both food and
harborage for insects and rodents.)
• Perimeter rodent control
• Perimeter insect control
• Surrounding environment (any surrounding areas
or buildings conducive to pests)
• Rodent-, insect- and/or bird-proofing
Interior areas:
• Wall and floor maintenance (Are cracks sealed and
floors clean?)
• Ceilings (Do they leak or provide harborage areas?);
suspended ceilings are particularly suspect.
• Elevator shafts
• Floor drains (Are they clean?); cover plates and
catch basins must be removed during inspection.
• Plumbing (Are areas where pipes come through
walls rodent proof?)
• Condensation (Does it provide a breeding area for
flies or other pests?)
• Lighting (Do lights attract insects into the building?)
• Doors (Are they in good repair and shut tightly? Do
personnel observe door-closing policies?)
Storage:
• Proper practices (Is stored material kept 16 to 18
inches away from walls?)
• Proper stock rotation practices (e.g., first in, first
out)
• General housekeeping (Are spilled products
cleaned up?)
• Empty containers
• Segregation of damaged goods
• Refrigeration storage
Section 1: Chapter 4 32 General Pest Management
Food preparation areas:
• Housekeeping around equipment
• Cleanliness of counters and preparation surfaces
• Storage practices (Are food items kept in tightly
sealed containers, etc?)
Lockers and rest rooms:
• General sanitation
• Lockers well organized and not accumulating food
trash
Vending machines:
• Machine cleanliness
• All areas beneath and behind machines

Utility areas:
• Not being used as overflow storage areas
• Out-of-sight corners of floors and ceilings

Insecticides in Food-handling Establishments Insecticides applied in food-handling

establishments must not come in contact with or possibly contaminate
food products. For this reason, it is important to distinguish between food and non-food areas of
these establishments.

Non-food areas may include locker rooms, lavatories, machine rooms, boiler rooms,
rubbish rooms and garages. These are areas where food is not normally present, except perhaps
as it is being transported from one area to another. Food areas include any location where food
is stored or processed. Certain restrictions apply to the types of insecticides and treatments that
can
be used in food or non-food areas. Some definitions and general guidelines follow. For more
specific details on whether a product can be used in food or non-food areas, refer to the product
label.

Residual insecticides are those products applied to obtain insecticidal effect lasting
several hours or longer. There are four types of residual applications: general, barrier, spot,
and crack and crevice. Each may be used in
certain areas of food-handling establishments as directed by the product label.
 General treatment is application to broad expanses of indoor surfaces such as walls,
floors, and ceilings, or outside treatments. This is permitted only in non-food areas using only
those insecticides so registered.

Barrier treatment is usually considered the application of pesticides to thresholds and

other entrances, the foundation, and the soil adjacent to the foundation. A barrier treatment with
residual sprays, dusts, or granules may be
beneficial in controlling outdoor pests that may become invaders or nuisances when populations
build up.

Spot treatment is application to limited areas on which insects are likely to walk but will
not be in contact with food, utensils, or by workers. Such areas may occur on floors, walls, and
the bases or undersides of equipment. Spot treatments should not exceed 2 square feet. In many
cases, spot treatment is allowed only in non-food areas. Check the label to be certain of the
proper use of spot treatments.

Crack and crevice treatment is the application of small amounts of insecticides into
cracks and crevices in which insects hide or through which they may enter a building. Such
openings commonly occur at expansion joints,
between different elements of construction, and between equipment and floors. The openings
may lead to voids, such as hollow walls, equipment legs and bases, conduits, motor housings, or
junction or switch boxes. The crack and crevice treatment may entail the use of sprays, dusts, or
baits. It can be used in food areas as long as the insecticide is placed into cracks and crevices.
Residual insecticides may be applied when food establishments are in operation unless the label
of the product being used specifically indicates that all operations must be stopped at the time of
application.

When using nonresidual insecticides (defined as those applied to obtain insecticidal

effects only during the time of treatment) as space treatments (aerosol, ULF and fog treatments),
the application should be made while the
food-handling establishment is not in operation and exposed foods are removed or covered. Also,
food-handling surfaces should be cleaned before use.

However, the use of nonresidual insecticides as contact treatments (which means hitting
the target pest with a wet spray for immediate insecticidal effect) can be done while the
establishment is in operation. Both space treatments and contact treatments are considered
general insecticide
applications. Rodenticides in Food-handling Establishments Rodenticides are usually applied in
attractive food baits or as liquids. Such baits ordinarily require “tamperresistant” containers that
are designed to protect animals
and children as well as to avoid contamination of food (see Chapter 16). When placing bait
stations, special attention is required to protect the containers from damage and from being
stolen or tampered with. Rodenticides may be used outside the facility to intercept rodents before
they gain entry. They may be used inside the facility as long as they do not come in contact with
food.

SUMMARY

An effective pest management program always begins with a thorough inspection of the facility
to identify sanitation problems and to locate pest harborages. The pest control technician must be
aware of the unique needs of
the facility and must set up a treatment program that is consistent with these needs. Facility staff
must be informed of the treatments being applied and advised on all matters of safety and
avoiding contamination. Continual monitoring, record keeping, and follow-up are required to
ensure that the pests are being controlled and that the staff are satisfied with the results.
Whenever possible and practical, less-toxic means of controlling pests,
such as sanitation, baiting, crack and crevice, and spot treatments should be used instead of
general spraying.

Pest Management
 In

Max Restaurant
Submitted By: Jesse Steve M. Badillo
1HRM05