The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year roughly one in six Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. While there are a number of factors that contribute to this public health problem, the sanitary condition of environments in which food is grown, prepared and stored is a critically important aspect of ensuring the safety of the food Americans eat.
There is no doubt that proper pest prevention and control has always been an important component of food safety, especially in food processing facilities that prepare and package refrigerated and frozen foods. However, as pest problems have been traced to some recent food contamination cases and with the implementation of the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA), it is more important than ever that facilities pay increased attention to the role of pest management in their overall operations programs.