Warehouse Pests and the Food Safety Modernization Act

The Food Safety Modernization Act

Food Safety Modernization ActThe Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law by Barack Obama in 2011, but compliance with the law has only recently become necessary for smaller businesses with compliance dates ranging from 2015 to September of 2018, depending on the size and type of business. The law requires farmers, food processors, manufacturers, and food importers to implement “comprehensive, science-based preventive controls across the food supply” with more frequent inspections of facilities by the FDA expected, and increased liability in terms of large fines or imprisonment threatened for CEOs of companies that fail to comply with the new law.

Mandatory compliance with this law should be taken very seriously. As Erik Lieberman, FMI Vice President and Chief Regulatory Counsel, phrased it: “Examples of such violations include failing to properly verify that a foreign supplier adequately controls hazards, failure to implement preventive controls, and failure to properly maintain temperature of foods that could become hazardous or spoil during transportation operations.”

How safe is your warehouse from pests that can damage product and property?

The new law puts the burden of food safety on businesses and demands their cooperation. This is a challenge for any company in the industry because every food facility will come under attack eventually from rodents, birds, and insects because they seek warmth and food. This will be a constant battle for any business that either stores or processes food, but it cannot be avoided or wished away.

There are numerous ways to deal with an insect explosion or a rodent invasion, but sealing your loading dock against pests is one very important one. If you are paying money money to an exterminator to eliminate pests or a contractor to improve and seal your physical plant, it doesn’t make sense to allow pests back in through an open doorway. Beuschel Sales offers numerous options for Kelley high speed dock doors that will drastically reduce the amount of time your facility will be open to the elements or to pests and vulnerable to invasion.

The rules of compliance with the FSMA can be complicated, so it’s important for every business, small or large, farm or manufacturer, to fully understand what is required and to take steps to stop spoilage or contamination by rodents, animals, birds, or insects. Beuschel Sales can help you understand the best options for preventing a pest influx from the loading dock. Call us today to learn what you can do for your facility to reduce spoilage and comply with the FSMA.

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