Whether you are a take away, a food truck or a sit down restaurant owner, having a cockroach infestation can be detrimental to your food business. Cockroaches are not just unsightly, they also pose a major food safety risk! A cockroach infestation can lead to health inspection violations, damaged reputation and lost revenue.
We had a look at how food businesses can prevent a cockroach infestation.
Proper storage practices:
Always ensure that all food is stored in properly tightly sealed, crack-free containers. Store the containers at least 15cm away from the ground and 5cm from the wall. Insects can eat through plastic and cardboard, so even if a package has not been opened, it should still be stored in a container. How about also being kind to the environment and minimising plastic waste – think about storing food in glass or metal containers.
Efficient waste control
Remove food waste and garbage from the kitchen regularly. Bins that are used in the kitchen should seal shut properly. The outside refuse area should also be at least 10 meters from your kitchen and bins must be kept shut. Sanitise all inside and outside bins each time the refuse is emptied.
Correct sanitation procedures
Even the smallest scrap of food can attract cockroaches. Clean all food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment daily. Implement a regular cleaning schedule, that should become a habit, to ensure that no areas are missed.
Regular inspections
Keeping your kitchen cockroach free is a never ending battle. Prevention is better than cure. Partner with a pest control management company that inspects your business on a regular basis, to stop roaches in their tracks, before they invade your business! Your pest control company should be able to advise you and your staff regularly on ways to improve your hygiene and cleaning, in order to help minimise infestations recurring. It is absolutely essential to work as a team, communicate well and help each other.
HACCP / Food Safety
Food related businesses have a legal obligation to ensure products and packaging are pest free and these clients require a higher level of pest service standard. This type of service is called HACCP in our industry (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and is based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
Our HACCP clients have external auditors coming to site to check on food safety standards at their premises which includes checking on your pest control company’s services and processes. For our HACCP clients we have a Safety File on site which includes monitoring logs, trend analyses, pesticide usage logs, material safety data sheets, pest management protocols, service reports and more.
We also offer pest services to International audit standards, local SABS audit pest management standards and ISO audit pest control standards.
Service Master will assess and quote for any size food business from the smallest take away to a large family restaurant.
Contact Service Master today to find out more about our industrial and commercial services. We’ll tailor the perfect service package to cater for your specific business’ needs.
