Four Food Facilities Are Honored for Integrated Pest Management Excellence

Four food facilities were named as 2011 Gold Medal IPM Partner Award winners by Orkin, The IPM Institute of North America, and NSF International for their outstanding commitment to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) partnerships.

IPM is an environmentally friendly pest management approach that emphasizes multiple methods of non-chemical pest control and prevention. The facilities were honored for their adherence to comprehensive IPM programs that focus on vigilant sanitation, prompt adherence to structural pest management recommendations, diligent record keeping, and staff participation in IPM training sessions.

The winners, selected from approximately 50 nominees are:

• PETCO Distribution Center #198 (Joliet, Ill.) – One of four main distribution centers for the retailer of premium pet food and supplies.
   
• PETCO Distribution Center #499 (Aurora, Colo.) – One of six regionally based distribution centers for the retailer of premium pet food and supplies.
   
• Tarrier Foods Corp. (Columbus, Ohio) – One of the country's largest producers and co-packers of chopped candies, ice cream toppings, and salad toppings.
   
• Turano Florida Bun (Orlando, Fla.) – A state-of-the-art baking facility offering soft bun products to the Southeast restaurant and foodservice markets.

Now in its eighth year, the Gold Medal IPM Partner Awards began as an effort by Orkin and The IPM Institute of North America to encourage the use of IPM and other environmentally friendly pest management practices.

"The 2011 award winners understand that a successful IPM program is critical to food safety and quality assurance, and they've worked diligently to earn superior third party audit scores and protect their products, employees, customers, and the environment," said Jim Bail, director, Food Safety and Quality, NSF International.