In January 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) became the most comprehensive reform to food safety legislation in more than 70 years. The new law emphasizes taking a proactive, preventive approach to ensure food safety in the growing, processing, storage and distribution of food products, rather than only reacting to situations that can result—or have already resulted—in product contamination. Part of the new regulations address pest control, an important and perennial issue for every sector of the industry.

A variety of EPA-approved pesticides are available for use in processing facilities, but a better, long-term solution is to prevent infestation in the first place. Having proactive plans and programs to manage the sanitation conditions in a plant and the structural conditions in and around the plant are advisable and often required by auditors and regulations. That’s why food processors, working with their own pest control staff and/or outside pest professionals, are adopting the concept of integrated pest management (IPM).