Not so nice birdy
Within the Food and Beverage Industry, in particular, pest bird activity anywhere near the product increases the risk of contamination of the product, which could ultimately lead to the infection of both staff and consumers with either food poisoning or one of the many diseases carried by birds and their droppings.
There are a multitude of regulations and standards currently in place within the industry, in an attempt to safeguard against this level of risk. All members of the food value chain, from production, to manufacturing, packaging, storage, distribution and retail, are required to adhere to these regulations, and are subject to regular audits in order to certify that they do in fact comply with the standards as stipulated.
However, pest birds such as Pigeons, Starlings and House Sparrows can be very persistent, not to mention resourceful. Therefore, if your facility is not properly protected against pest bird activity, you will continue to experience problems, ultimately placing your customers and your business at great risk.
So what to do about the feathered pests?
Most within the industry will likely have an existing contract with a general pest controller, to keep the more common pests such as rodents and cockroaches at bay, and will often turn to these general pest controllers to assist with their pest bird infestation problem as well. This may well be the easiest and cheapest approach, but it is not necessarily the most effective tactic.
Ridding a building of pest bird activity, is not as straightforward as spraying and fumigating problem areas or setting a few traps at strategic points around the building. Effective bird proofing involves a deeper understanding of the behaviour of various bird species, the structure of buildings and potential points of entry, as well as the competent and structurally sound application of solutions that are both effective and aesthetically pleasing.
An experienced bird proofing service provider would provide additional value to clients in the Food and Beverage industry, including benefits such as a great deal of knowledge, added skills (such as rope access certification), a wide product range, product guarantees, and the ability to be innovative, which is essential within this line of work as no two situations or buildings are the same.
Don’t cut corners
There have been many brands within the Food and Beverage industry across the globe, that have received a great deal of negative press, due to accidental contamination of foods resulting in severe food poisoning. In many cases, those poisoned by the contaminated food they consumed, did not survive, resulting in costly court battles and a serious amount of damage to the manufacturer’s brand image.
It is for this reason, that the elimination of the presence of pest bird activity within this environment is of the utmost importance, and should be treated with great care. Avoid cutting costs, by cutting corners. Instead, give your business the level of safety it deserves, by ensuring that you contract the best possible service provider for the job.'
Author
Samantha Poole
