McCloud Services is generating awareness on ways food facilities can build an effective pest management program that will comply under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The company is a leading pest management company servicing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio and Wisconsin.
To prevent widespread food illnesses created by improper processing or sanitation practices, FSMA was introduced by the FDA to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by implementing proactive controls as the foundation of the law. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases. FSMA signed into law by President Obama enables the FDA to better protect public health by strengthening the food safety system.
A comprehensive pest management plan is a critical component to a FSMA compliant food safety program.
“Food facilities are required to implement a written preventive controls plan, which includes sanitation maintenance and pest management practices. The goal is to build a proactive pest management program based on identified risks and encourage the food facility to operate under a preventive mindset versus reactive,” said Patricia Hottel, technical director of McCloud Services.
There are several elements that go into an effective pest management program under FSMA guidelines, including performing a risk analysis and thorough inspection of past pest pressures, establishing preventative controls, conducting ongoing monitoring and visual inspections and identifying corrective actions to control the source through root cause analysis for long-term success. Electronic documentation is also a key component in program development, verification and maintenance, and proper evaluation must occur on a regular basis.
McCloud Services discusses these critical program elements required for a FSMA compliant food safety program in its article “Implementing FSMA Rules for Pest Prevention & Corrective Actions.”
To learn more about a compliant FSMA pest management program, please download McCloud Services’ article: Implementing FSMA Rules for Pest Prevention & Corrective Actions.
