Food Safety Level 2 Section 7 Unit 1 Common Types of Pests

Summary

This script highlights the importance of preventing food pest infestations in establishments. It discusses common pests like mice, rats, flies, cockroaches, ants, and birds, which can contaminate food with bacteria and physical matter. The summary emphasizes signs of infestation and preventive measures, such as maintaining cleanliness, using protective screens, and adhering to stock rotation and FIFO principles.

Takeaways

• 🐀 Mice and rats are common pests in food establishments, living in sewers or around buildings, and can be identified by droppings, gnaw marks, and damage to wiring and packaging.
• 🐭 To prevent rodent infestations, it's crucial to remove waste promptly, use bins with tight lids, maintain cleanliness, and repair any damage to pipes and vents.
• 🕊 Flies can contaminate food by landing on unsanitary surfaces and then on food, spreading bacteria. Signs include eggs, maggots, and dead flies.
• 🚫 Measures against flies include installing fly screens, using ultraviolet killers, sticky paper, and ensuring bins are covered and regularly cleaned.
• 🪳 Cockroaches prefer warm, dirty environments and can be a sign of poor hygiene. They can be detected by the presence of eggs, unusual smells, and damage to products.
• 🧹 Keeping areas clean, storing food in sealed containers, and maintaining cleanliness in waste areas are essential to prevent cockroach infestations.
• 🐜 Ants are attracted to unprotected food and can be a sign of infestation. Immediate clean-up of food spills and reporting sightings is necessary.
• 🐦 Birds carry pathogens and can damage food. Protecting windows and doors, using mist nets, and rejecting damaged food deliveries are preventive measures.
• 🐞 Dry storage pests like weevils can infest flour and other goods. They are harmless as eggs but can damage food as they grow.
• 📅 Adhering to use-by or best-before dates, storing food in cool, dry, sealable containers, and following FIFO (First-In, First-Out) stock control rules can prevent infestation by dry storage pests.
• 🏭 Regular inspections and maintaining a clean environment are vital after an outbreak of pests to ensure that no eggs or pests remain.

Q & A

What are food pests and why are they a concern?

Food pests are insects or animals that live on or in human food. They are a concern because they can contaminate food with bacteria, diseases, and physical contaminants like droppings, urine, fur, feathers, and dead bodies.

Why are food establishments particularly vulnerable to pest infestations?

Food establishments are vulnerable to pest infestations because they provide ideal conditions for pests, such as food, warmth, shelter, and water.

What are some signs of mice or rats infestation in a food establishment?

Signs of mice or rats include droppings, gnaw marks, greasy marks on pipes and woodwork, damage to wiring, damage to products or packaging, and the smell of urine. Sightings of live or dead mice or rats are also indicative of an infestation.

What measures can be taken to safeguard against mice and rats in food establishments?

To safeguard against mice and rats, one should remove waste promptly, fit bins with tight-fitting lids, clean bin areas, repair taps and pipe work, clear food spills, rotate stock, and report sightings to supervisors for pest control.

How do flies contaminate food and what are the signs of their presence?

Flies contaminate food by landing on animal feces and rotting food, collecting bacteria on their bodies, and causing cross-contamination from food to food. Signs of their presence include housefly eggs, maggots, live or dead flies.

What precautions should be taken to prevent flies from contaminating food in food establishments?

Preventative measures include installing fly screens or mesh on doors and windows, using ultraviolet fly killers, placing sticky fly paper, sanding storerooms, covering all food, positioning bins away from windows and doors, and regularly emptying and cleaning bins.

What are the characteristics and signs of cockroach infestations?

Cockroaches prefer warm and dirty places and are nocturnal. They can hatch from eggs in about two months, with each egg case carrying 10 to 30 eggs. Signs of infestation include live or dead cockroaches and an unusual smell, as well as damage to products or packaging.

How can food establishments protect against cockroach infestations?

To protect against cockroaches, establishments should keep all rooms clean, clean up spills, store food in sealed containers, and keep rubbish and waste areas clean. After an outbreak, regular inspections are required as eggs can hatch later.

What are ants attracted to and how can their presence be managed in food establishments?

Ants are attracted to unprotected food. To manage their presence, food should be covered, and any food spills should be cleaned up immediately. Sightings should be reported to a supervisor for nest removal.

Why are birds a concern in food establishments and what can be done to safeguard against them?

Birds carry pathogens and can cause damage to food. To safeguard against birds, windows and doors should be protected, and mist nets may be used in warehouses to catch or remove birds. Damaged food should be rejected, and birds should not be fed near food handling areas.

What are dry store pests like weevils and how can their presence be detected and managed?

Dry store pests such as weevils are found in flour and other dry goods. They are harmless in the egg stage but can infest food during growth. Signs of their presence include visual sightings and damage to food. To manage them, use food within the use-by or best-before date, store in sealable containers in cool, dry areas, and follow the FIFO (first-in, first-out) stock control rule.