In food premises, pests like rodents, insects, and birds pose a threat to public health and risks your compliance with regulations.
The presence of just a few pests can quickly ruin the reputation of a thriving business, turning it into something that makes local newspaper headlines.
So, if you serve food think beyond just having a few DIY solutions on-hand or occasional treatments and consider. It might be worth considering a professional contract, so you’re ready to deal with any sudden pest appearances quickly.
There can be huge legal and financial consequences for businesses that don’t act fast in the event of a pest outbreak.
Also read: A UK Pest Control Guide For Homeowners, Landlords And Businesses
From a health perspective, this is serious. Pests carry harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and allergens, spreading them through food and facility surfaces. While it’s rare, salmonella can be fatal. But the reputational damage of an outbreak can ruin a business.
And all these pests can actually transmit illness through contaminated food in two different ways.
Firstly, through direct contact with the food itself and secondly, through indirect cross-contamination when the pathogens they carry become airborne or if the food comes into contact with a surface that disease-carrying pests have passed over.
It’s why the Food Standards Agency has the authority to enforce pest control to prevent such contamination.
When it comes to pests’ contamination issues, disease is something you can’t see, and you’d likely only act when someone becomes ill.
But some effects of contamination you can see, and pests can even sabotage your infrastructure.
When rodents chew through packaging, gnaw on wiring, insulation, or pipes, they spoil individual items, introduce foreign matter into your food supply, and potentially create safety hazards. For example, when rodents chew through wires and build nearby nests from flammable materials, there is a huge fire risk. In addition, damage such as chewed cables can short-circuit machinery or pose electricity/fire hazards, putting staff safety at risk.
Similarly, traces of fur, feathers, skin, droppings, eggs, insect fragments, and body parts that end up in food products and on surfaces creates products that are unfit for humans and that breach regulatory standards. It can also force expensive recalls and the disposal of anything that’s been contaminated.
One of the most common outcomes of any contamination is food poisoning. When someone ingests food contaminated by pests, they may experience severe symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever.
In some cases, especially among vulnerable people, these symptoms can escalate to the point of requiring hospitalisation. Cockroaches, in particular, are associated with serious conditions such as typhoid, cholera and gastroenteritis.
Certain pests also spread more serious diseases. Rodents, for example, can transmit leptospirosis through their urine, a bacterial infection that can cause jaundice, liver damage, and even kidney failure. Hantavirus, while rare in the UK, is another potentially deadly illness that can be contracted through exposure to rodent droppings or saliva.
Pests are also a major trigger for allergic reactions and asthma. Sensitivity to cockroach droppings, shed skins, or rodent dander can lead to airway constriction, wheezing, coughing, and other chronic respiratory problems. These reactions are especially dangerous for anyone with existing allergies or asthma.
Finally, pests like flies, mites, and rodents often act as carriers of parasites and viral agents. These can cause skin irritations, intestinal distress, or more serious infections.
And it doesn’t take long for an infection to spread. In busy food environments, the combination of high footfall and contaminated surfaces can create a serious risk to public health.
Uncontrolled pest problems come with a heavy risk of damage, fines and other regulatory sanctions:
Effective pest prevention comes from a combination of strict hygiene, structural maintenance – keeping an eye out for things like leaks that attract pests – and professional monitoring.
Routine Inspections
Conduct frequent inspections of key areas, entry points, waste areas, storage rooms, and food preparation zones.
Strict Hygiene Practise
Daily cleaning routines ensure waste is removed frequently and that foods are stored in sealed containers. Clean surfaces, floors, drains, and waste bins. Keep bulk goods and foodstuffs in sealed, pest-proof containers off the floor.
Structural Maintenance
Consider sealing gaps in walls, doors, and vents to block entry points and show employees how to recognise pest activity and handle incidents promptly.
Professional Pest Management
Working with a professional pest controller (like us) helps you win at long-term control through targeted and professional-grade methods that keep your premises safe, compliant and pest-free. Professional management might include scheduled monitoring, mechanical trapping, targeted baiting, progress reports, and continued reviews.
Team Training & Record-Keeping
Give staff basic training on how to spot droppings, chew marks, nesting and insect activity.
Having pests in your food premises could be a serious health problem and risks your business reputation.
Pests cause direct contamination through droppings, fur, and body parts, while possibly damaging packaging, wiring, and infrastructure. They carry dangerous pathogens that contaminate food and surfaces that can lead to food poisoning, life-threatening diseases and allergic reactions.
An effective approach combines a range of elements including hygiene, maintenance, staff awareness and professional pest control, so in this way investing in professional prevention is not just a good idea, it’s important for safeguarding your business.
To discuss your pest control requirements, whether you have an emergency or just want ongoing prevention, give the specialists at Able a call on 0330 108 4111.