[Up Front] Pest Control: A Team Approach

In the past 31 years, I have watched the food industry progress from the days when the least paid and least trained food plant employee was responsible for using pesticides and called a pest control technician to today where we generally rely on contracted services for pest control. But I sometimes wonder how much we have actually learned.

When I first started in the industry, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was the buzz phrase. Pest control professionals were contracted solely for chemical application. Certification of pest control technicians became a new requirement, but it was often misguided. I attended state-sponsored seminars where none of the instructors had any food processing experience. Their IPM training only covered how to use chemicals in food plants. AIB offered comprehensive pest control seminars, but it was often difficult to receive recertification credits because state departments did not agree that building design, inspection principles, and cleaning procedures were part of IPM.

In today’s industry, contractors should be able to inspect for pest issues, advise us on building modifications that can reduce pest entry, show us how to control outside grounds to eliminate harborages, and recommend more frequent or more in-depth cleaning procedures to control issues they have discovered. They must be part of our IPM team. However, you might be surprised at how few pest control technicians, regulators, and even food processors actually understand what IPM means to the food industry.

Well-designed cleaning schedules, in-depth cleaning procedures, and proper equipment and building design are more important than chemical application when it comes to IPM. Unfortunately, food companies still often chose the least expensive contractor without evaluating the services provided. When purchasing ingredients, we write specifications about what we expect the supplier to provide. Why are contracted services any different? We hire in-house experts to ensure that our ingredient expectations are met, so why do we not retain in-house pest control experts?

I am encouraged by changes that are taking place, but remain very guarded. I see less in-house expertise and more reliance on contracted services. More pest control companies are training their personnel in food safety, but pest management consulting is not being emphasized. Before you turn over IPM responsibilities to contracted pest control professionals, make sure they understand food industry standards and common issues. For us to progress successfully we must work together with service providers.

One pest control consultant I’ve worked with always had to have at least three solutions to an infestation before he would use a chemical to solve a problem. Only one solution could involve chemicals. After each was reviewed, if the chemical solution appeared the best choice he would use it. Generally, the chemical solution was a short-term corrective action and a long-term solution needed to be scheduled in the near future. IPM uses every tool available to solve a problem. For this reason, your contractor needs to be part of your team. AIB

The author is Vice President of Food Safety Education, AIB International.