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CONTENTSFSMA Changes Pest Control forFood ManufacturersSPECIAL REPORTRemoving Rodents From The RecipeIPM-Based Prevention Tips forSanitation and MaintenancePest Control’s CriticalRole in Food SafetySponsored by

Fo o d Pro cessin g: SPECIAL REPORT“Old-fashioned fence line baitingFSMA Changes Pest Control forFood ManufacturersThe Food Safety Modernization Act and Global Food Safety Initiativeaudits make processors rethink their pest management programs.deficiencies that create pest andindustry are increasingly influencedtion of pest-sighting logs as part ofment regulations. Between theFood Safety Modernization Actand third-party audits that complywith the Global Food Safety Ini-cient flexibility to allow rodenticideprotection for the diverse kinds offacilities and outdoor storages foodprocessors utilize,” he says.GFSI-recognized programsbetter pest management programs.p Pest management programs inby food safety audits and govern-but the current labels have suffi-are another huge motivator forBy Dave Fusaro, Editor in Chiefthe food and beverage processingis prohibited unless within 100 ft.,microbial harborages and utiliza-pest management trend analysis,”says Jerry Heath, product managerand staff entomologist for Indus-trial Fumigant Co., Lenexa, Kan.Rodent management is one ofIn some ways, GFSI may havemore impact on pest control thanFSMA. While FSMA considerspest control a general recommendation of a HACCP program, allthe GFSI-recognized programshave very specific requirements forpest control.One change, thanks to mosttiative (GFSI), there are more rulesthose areas that has seen someprograms certified by GFSI, is theAnd a lot more record-keeping.packaging, distribution and labelsdevices. Most pest managementand more prescribed steps to follow.FSMA applies to virtually everyfood & beverage processor in thecountry. In a 2013 note in theFederal Register, the FDA notedsignificant changes. Rodent baitwere revised in 2011 in response toconcern for exposures to childrenand non-target animals.“Mitigation of non-target animalthat problems with both pests andexposure had the most impactsafety incidents in the recent past.Heath continues. “Label revisionspesticides were contributors to foodPest control has always been apart, although largely implied, offederal food safety requirements, atleast since the 1938 Federal Food,Drug & Cosmetic Act. In a read-ing of the January 2013 expansionof FSMA, “Pest management inthe future will pay heightenedattention to product transport vehicles, loading dock and non-foodstorage areas, facility maintenanceon the food processing industry,”in 2011 limited most outdoorrodenticide placements to withinplacement and spacing of rodentprograms prior to the 2013 changesfollowed a formula, placing themevery so many feet, but most popular audit standards compliant withGFSI now allow for more flexibledevice placements based on knownthreats, ongoing inspection andhistory of activity.“There have been examples where50 ft. of buildings. A number ofnumbers of rodent control devicesEPA’s directive and, in remarkablyand pest management service hasshortcomings were identified infast action, the labeling directivewas revised to within 100 ft. ofbroadly defined structures. Rodenticides with this new labeling wereon the market by late 2012.www.Food P roc e s s i ng.c om- 2-have been dramatically reduced,evolved to a more general inspection routine,” says Heath.But many facilities in the foodand beverage industry are still governed by audit standards requiringa formula-based device placement

Fo o d Pro cessin g: SPECIAL REPORTscheme — or the plants lack trend-shut down of whatever work area isto be sure management notifica-in device numbers. So it’s best toetrates all cracks and crevices andtaken if there are multiple rodentis allowed. Also, many facilities arethat every bug in the room is dead.ing data to support a reductioncheck with your auditors for whatjust more comfortable with a conservative program.Correct and efficient identifi-cation of pests is the first step tosolving any pest challenge. Today,pest control experts are turningmore and more to digital technol-ogy, specifically digital microscopesand digital photos as a reliablebeing fumigated. Fumigation pen-provides a high degree of certaintyBut it also penetrates packagingmanagement techniques for thesebromide, probably the most popular fumigant, a few years back.Other effective chemicals also havebeen removed.For fogging, chemicals areprovide a quick kill, but dissipateapproaches have their proponents.Neither leaves any residual chemi-cal on surfaces, which in most casesis a benefit but does not providelong-term killing power.Fumigation probably is a moreeffective method, but it requires aThere is common knowledgethe EPA, which de-listed methylhas been dealt some setbacks byinside the plant, processors shouldfumigation and fogging. Botha foothold.about many aspects of rodentsprayed in controlled areas. Thereconsider the debate betweencaptures or risks of rodents gainingand machines. Fumigation alsomeans for pest identification.For widespread pest controltions and appropriate responses areis less penetration. The chemicalsmore rapidly than fumigation,so downtime is greatly reduced.Sequential fogging treatments caneliminate or reduce the frequencybiology that contributes to ourpests. We know they can enterthrough small holes of only ¼ - ½inch in size, so doors need to closetightly and holes leading intopotential harborages need to besealed. We know rodents tend totravel along floor-wall junctionswhich dictates many trap and baitstation placements. We know thatmice are more curious than rats andthus easier to trap.Let’s examine some lesserof fumigations.known aspects of rodent biologydone by pest control personnel ormore advanced strategies. FoodHeath notes that fogging can beby a fixed fogging system. pand behavior and consider somefacilities are often large, sprawlingcomplexes with potential risksfrom rodents indoors and out. Butrodents will typically only utilizeRemoving Rodents FromThe Recipenarrow travel pathways and smallp Pest management should alwayskind of facility. It is not uncommonallow the most efficient placementstion of key pests and considerationhave some feeding in exterior baitbe approached first with recogniof aspects of their biology wheremanagement options can bebrought to bear. Rodents are recognized as a key threat for everyto trap an occasional mouse orstations, but infestations can neverbe tolerated in or around food facilities. A number of food companieshave escalation protocols in placewww.Food P roc e s s i ng.c om- 3-areas for most of their activity.So, recognizing and inspecting tolocate the most attractive travelroutes and potential harborages canfor traps or outdoor bait stations.The world’s foremost authority onrodent management, Dr. BobbyCorrigan, suggests six words tosummarize this concept: lines,

Fo o d Pro cessin g: SPECIAL REPORTbut rather to discern which of thepotential travel routes in a facilityare actually being used. Regularlyused travel routes or holes willoften feature grey rub marks fromthe oils in rodent fur.Monitoring data proves thatrodent activity is not uniformaround facilities. Most auditstandards, and many food companies allow modification of deviceplacement patterns based on monitoring and risk. Most people canrecognize, for example, that a longblank wall with no openings maynot require the same density ofbait station placements as anotherarea with shipping and receivingshadows, corners, warm spots,droppings or urine spots, and LINES can be wires, pipes, Small animals like rodents arequiet spots and voids.beams, vegetation lines or otherkinds of borders in addition tofloor-wall junctions. Rememberthat rodents are excellent climbers and are active at all levelsof elevation. Rodents are secretive and willtend to prefer shaded, SHADOWY PLACES, or nocturnalactivity. So there may be lighting or warehouse arrangementdesigns that promote bright-ness, or unavoidable shadowingareas ideal for trap or bait station placements. Rodents will tend to pauseat CORNERS, so these areefficient places to inspect forplace traps or bait stations.challenged to maintain bodyheat, so appliances or equipmentthat produce a little heat abovethe ambient temperature can beattractive WARM SPOTS andfor nesting. Sometimes a number of theseattractive features accumulatetogether in the same places thatare also more QUIET than othersurroundings, or in a VOID.The best inspection tool forrodent activity is a good flashlight.Rodents will leave droppingseverywhere they are active. Thebest use for UV inspection lightsis not for scanning trailers, etc.,www.Food P roc e s s i ng.c om- 4-or product risks. It may be prudentto reduce device densities in someareas and increase them in others.Exploit differences in rodent species’ biology, and behavior. Miceand roof rats have nibbling feedinghabits, for example, unlike Norwayrats that will eat a lot at one place.Consider how you might interpretand react to chronic, low-levelactivity in some area. A mouse orroof rat may need to nibble at anisolated station over a number ofdays to accumulate a toxic dose ofbait, but a cluster of closely-spacedstations could encourage nibbleshere and there and achieve a toxicdose much faster. Rodenticide baitsdiffer in their palatability also, soselecting the most palatable baitthat can compete with other foodsources can be a key to success.