The food industry is one of the most vulnerable industries in terms of pest infestations. This is so because most pests such as cockroaches and rodents are attracted towards food and tend to build their nests near it. There are numerous reasons as to why pest control is an absolute must in the food industry:
Health and Safety:
Pests act as carriers for various diseases, some of which are fatal to human health. From bacterias to viruses, these pests carry out the task of transmitting these pathogens to the public via food. They pose a threat to the health of customers as well as workers that handle the pest contaminated food. Pest control includes a whole process of identifying and eliminating these infested areas of pests and making the environment safe for customers and workers.
Preserving brand reputation:
Finding food or ingredients infested with pests causes a feeling of distrust among customers leading to the degradation of brand reputation. Once any kind of infestation is found, it does not take long to spread through social media and news channels. Distrust among customers leads to decreased sales and a long term damage to the brand’s reputation.
Investing in a good pest control program is a huge step towards creating a clean and safe environment. Customers also tend to trust and buy from brands that prioritise their safety and hygiene.
Cost-efficient:
While investing in a good pest control program may look like an expensive expense in the beginning, it is a long term investment for the business. Pests tend to destroy and contaminate products that can then cannot be used or sold. They also damage machinery, wires, and other largely invested in accessories. Getting pest control is way cheaper than paying to fix or repair the damaged goods. Along with that, it increases the shelf life, reduces wastage of manufactured goods, and increases overall efficiency of work, proving to be highly cost efficient.
Regulatory Compliance:
Saving the most important for last; in order to be permitted to operate a food industry organisation at all, certain regulatory compliance certifications are important. Certifications such as ISO and FSSAI are mandatory to operate in these areas.
One of the most important factors for these compliance certificates is pest control. Having pest control done could get you a step closer to receiving these certificates.Being in the food industry business means having to be extremely careful about safety and health hazards – pests being one of the biggest hazards of all. Being mindful of what you see around, being on the lookout for signs and symptoms of pests, and most importantly, not waiting around for pests to infest are the major signs of a good, safe, and healthy environment. Safety and health of both customers and workers are the most important factors that should never be compromised. Hence, these are the most important reasons pest control is important in the food industry.
