PEST CONTROLS

It is advisable to carry out pest and rat control procedures, which should be designed to:

- wipe out infestations (arthropods and rodents) before these can come into contact with foodstuffs. Infestations are defined as the presence in foodstuffs of insects or rodents, their parts, excrement or metabolites which introduce micro-organisms that may be harmful to the consumer or render the food products unfit for consumption;
- avoid contaminating food products.

Procedures are designed to control the biological risk associated with the presence of harmful animals in food production areas.
Disinfestation is carried out at two levels:
- prevention;
- combating.

Prevention: is aimed at preventing parasites from entering the premises.
This is done by placing sealed physical barriers around doors and other openings between the working environments and the outside world (sealed doors, insect traps).
Additional prevention measures are implemented depending of the specific requirements identified by monitoring the environment.

Combating: involves measures aimed at keeping parasites at a distance and preventing them from entering the premises, or eliminating those that are already inside the working environment. When combating insects, mites and other animals, the disinfestation program involves placing traps baited with pheromones or food in order to capture insects and rodents.