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From Pest Control to “Roof Diapers,” Food Safety for DC and Warehouse.

AIB International discusses solutions for good manufacturing practices in areas where facilities struggle to meet standards and tend to overlook.

As product is consistently moving in and out of a warehouse, it’s the non-product zone–with the forklifts, scissor lifts, and large ceiling fans–that gathers the most dust.
As product is consistently moving in and out of a warehouse, it’s the non-product zone–with the forklifts, scissor lifts, and large ceiling fans–that gathers the most dust.

Though many food distributers are aware of food safety protocol, their employees may not be as familiar. Judi Lazaro, senior category director of food safety at AIB International presented the first part of AIB International’s five-part Food Protection for Warehouses and Distribution Centers Webinar Series.

Current Good Manufacturing Practices apply not only to manufacturers but also to distribution and warehousing. To help companies meet the demands of these practices, AIB International sends inspectors to identify a building’s food safety issues and help eliminate them. AIB inspectors follow the “may clause” when doing their inspections. For example, an inspector only needs to see rat droppings to decide a building is unsafe, as that is a good indicator that there “may” then be rodents in the facility. This clause provides a further layer of caution to ensure a warehouse or distribution center meets top standards.

Lazaro provided a breakdown of which main food safety issues are the most overlooked or commonly taken care of improperly in distribution and warehousing, as well as suggestions to solve the issues.  

Pest control

Pests are one of the top five global issues in distribution and warehousing, and pest control has been one of the top misses for facilities within the last five years, according to Lazaro. Birds and rats are often reported as pests, but Lazaro emphasized that any animal in the vicinity is considered a pest, including cats–which usually go unreported and are even welcomed and fed by employees. Though this does not mean that the only way to remove such animals is by euthanizing them.

On the topic of rats, these rodents use their long whiskers to help them travel. Previously, a rule held that product must be kept 18in away from walls. Though this has been removed from AIB’s rules, keeping product some distance away from the wall is beneficial. If a rat’s whiskers don’t touch the product near the walls, then it will continue to travel along the wall where rodent control devices have been placed.  The distance from the wall also allows for easier cleaning.

Pest control device placement is often misunderstood; these should be custom-positioned based on the facility assessment. If no assessment is available, a facility should place the devices at 20-40 ft intervals. Another common misconception is that insect light traps are required in facilities; but if they are installed, there are rules that apply. These rules include the placement of the traps in regard to food and not letting them be visible from the outside, which would only attract more insects.

The kind of and number of pests that get into a facility can be affected by climate. A company must consider location, food, and water stored within the facility to determine if and what kind of pest control is needed.

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