New industry Code to reduce food poisoning

Pest managers are calling for a new partnership with the food industry to reduce the more than five million cases of food-borne illnesses suffered by Australians each year.

Representatives of both the food and pest industries have prepared a new Code of Practice for the management of pests in the food industry. The code defines best practices for both pest managers and food businesses and produces a range of measured outcomes.

The Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (AEPMA) coordinated the preparation and review of the Code of Practice.

Working party member and Australian food safety specialist, Gavin Buckett, says the Code has the potential to bring a new level of professionalism and understanding to management of pests by food providers and the technicians who provide pest services for them.

“Pest management in the food industry should extend far beyond a can of bug spray,” says Buckett. “The new Code of Practice complements the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Standards Code and provides guidelines on pest and vermin management that follows Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety principles.

“The code details the expectations food businesses should have of their pest managers and the expectations pest managers should have of food businesses and their place of business.”

AEPMA President, David Gay says that each year in Australia 18,000 people are hospitalised with food borne illnesses and tragically 120 people die.

“It’s our aim, through the Code of Practice to form a new partnership with the food industry, to dramatically reduce those figures,” Mr Gay said.

Mr Buckett called on the food industry to contact their local pest managers to discuss the new Code Of Practice and review how the two parties should work in partnership to ensure a higher standard of pest and vermin control.

“At the very least, all food industry members should familiarise themselves with AEPMA’s Code Of Practice – Commercial Pest Management in a Food Business, to assess whether they are meeting the best practice standards in pest management expected by the public.”

The new code of practice can be found on the AEPMA website – www.aepma.com.au