Introduction to pests in the food supply chain
We have several HACCP risk tables. For example, below, you see the HACCP variation table we have composed concerning the subject of pests. Since this table is very extensive, we recommend using the download below to view the table properly.
Table: Possible pests hazards overview
Animal | Species | Food product | Other sources | Comments | Prevention |
Cheese fly (Piophila casei L.) | Insect | Cheese, meat products | Faeces | Larvae can damage the intestines. | |
Cheese mite (Tyrogluphus siro L.) | Mite | Cheese, flour, grain products, dried meat, vanilla sticks | Mattress | Could cause eczema. Cold, dry storage is an essential preventive measure. | |
Fly (housefly, meat fly, fruit fly) | Insect | Fresh products and incredibly fresh fish, meat and fruit. | Maggot-contaminated fish and meat are not consumable anymore. | Fly lights, fly screens, closed lids, hygiene and regular cleaning. | |
Bacon beetle | Insect | Bacon, sausage | |||
Plodia interpunctella Hb | Moth | Dried fruits and vegetables | Caterpillars cause damage and pollution but can easily be killed by heating. | ||
Cacao moth (Ephestia elutella Hb) | Moth | Dried fruits and vegetables, cacao, nuts and flour products. | Damage by faeces and gnawing. | Good hygiene and cleaning. Sealing of seams and cracks. Install fly lights and use the proper insecticides. | |
Pedunculate Beetle (Acanthoscelides obtectus ) | Coli | Legumes | Grows in storage; recognizable by dark coloured circles on beans or circle round holes in the beans. | ||
Grain weevil (Stiohilus granarius L.) | Beatle | Grain, flour | Reproduces in flour, contaminated grain, or bags often cause contamination. | ||
Flour beetle (tribolium-species) | Beatle | Flour | Reproduces in flour. | ||
Flour moth (Esphestia kuhniella Zell) | Moth | Caterpillar faeces or spins in flour. | Obstruction of deposit sleeves; contaminated bags and batches. | Control of equipment. Machinery, equipment, pipes and cleaning of all rooms. Keep the temperature as low as possible. | |
Flour mite (Tyroglyphus farinae L.) | Mite | Flour products with a moisture percentage of 12-14%. | Quick reproduction is possible; flour has a musty smell; a strong allergic response is possible. In addition, they prefer high humidity, which could induce allergic responses and quality deterioration. | Hygienic handling and manufacturing with good ventilation. | |
Cockroach | Insect | Diverse products and raw materials. | They locate themselves preferably in warm areas and live in communities together. | Cockroaches could be contaminated with (pathogenic) microbes and mites. They spread contaminants with their faeces and intestinal fluids. Food products that had contact with cockroaches are not acceptable for consumption since they spread (contagious) diseases. | Discard rotten plant-based materials. Keep crawlspaces dry. Good hygiene in and around the building. |
Weevil | Insect | Grain, maize, rice, flour, solid flour products such as vermicelli, macaroni, peas, chestnuts, acorns, and dog bread. Especially in a silo and other types of bulk packaging. | They also live in households. | Only the grain weevil cannot fly. The optimum living temperature for the grain weevil is usually around 20 ° C and has a relative humidity of 65-70%. Contamination causes a musty product and quality deterioration. | Clean seams and cracks regularly. |
Beetles | Insect | Flour, groceries, bread, cookies, macaroni, beans, dried fruits, herbs, chocolate etc. | Leftovers and products that are stored for an extended period. | The optimum temperature is around 30-35 ° C with a relative humidity of 70-80%. Contamination results in musty, acidic products because of the moldiness and therefore cause product deterioration. | Clean seams and cracks regularly. |
Ants | Insect | Other insects and sweet products. | Ants can transfer bacteria. They are often in warm and difficult-to-reach places. | Clean seams and cracks regularly | |
Woodlice | Insect | Rotten plant material, animal leftovers and faeces. | Present in humid places and harmful in significant amounts in horticulture. It is not harmful to humans and animals. | Discard rotten plant-based materials. Keep crawlspaces dry. Good hygiene in and around the building. | |
Earwigs | Insect | Algae, yeasts, moss, soft leaves, unripe fruits and seeds. | Present in humid environments. Damages horticulture and floriculture. | Discard rotten plant-based materials. Keep crawlspaces dry. Good hygiene in and around the building. | |
Fungus mite | Insect | Plant-based products and sometimes animal-based products: grain products, flour, animal feed, dried fruit. As long as the product is affected by moisture. | Quick reproduction is possible; flour gets a musty smell; strong allergic reactions are possible, and high humidity is preferred. Therefore, they can induce allergic reactions and quality deterioration of products. | Hygienic handling and good ventilation. | |
Wasp | Insect | Meat, fruit and sweet products. | Fly lights, screens, containers with closed lids, good hygiene, and regular cleaning. | ||
Land birds: birds around production facilities and houses (sparrow, starling and dove). | Poultry | Diverse products and raw materials depend on the bird species. | Transmitting of Salmonella, for example, through faeces. | Fly screens at the open windows and closed containers, hygiene and regular cleaning. | |
Rural Birds: Birds around the farm (Jackdaws, crows, rooks). | Poultry | Diverse products and raw materials depend on the bird species. | Creates nuisance and damages the raw materials etc. | ||
Aquatic birds (ducks and seagulls) | Poultry | Fish and meat | Located around environments with water and contaminated crops with faeces. | Fly screens at the open windows and closed containers, hygiene and regular cleaning. | |
Mice | Gnaw animals | The mouse eats everything but prefers grains, legumes and sweets. | Damages diverse materials such as electricity cables. They might cause water damage, short circuit, machine malfunction and fire. They can swim, climb and crawl through openings of 6 mm. Next, their faeces could induce (Paratyfus) and food poisoning (Salmonella). | Close containers, hygiene, regularly cleaning and placing mouse traps. | |
Rats | Gnaw animals | The rat eats everything. | Damages diverse materials such as electricity cables. They might cause water damage, short circuit, machine malfunction and fire. They can swim, climb and crawl through openings of 6 mm. Next, their faeces could induce (Paratyfus) and food poisoning (Salmonella). They prefer moist environments. | Close containers, hygiene, regularly cleaning and placing rat traps. |
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