with other materials such as stainless steel
or glass board, jacketed vessels, and heat
exchangers. These mechanisms result in
microbial transfer to growth niches. Further-
more, microbial biofilms are involved in this
transfer.
Design Practices to Prevent Pest Infestation
The best way to keep birds out of a food-
processing facility is through a proper
design. Since birds will utilize small gaps and
cracks, or protected sites for entry, nesting,
or resting sites, spaces under corrugated
roofs should be blocked to preclude such
activity. Materials for this purpose may
include hardware cloth, expandable foam,
sheet metal, and bird netting. If foam is
selected, a precision foam gun should be
incorporated to prevent gaps. Marsh (1997)
suggested that signs from the side of build-
ings should be removed or placed tightly
against the side of buildings to prevent nest
building. If sign removal is not possible or
placement is not flush, the gaps between the
building and sign should be blocked with an
appropriate netting or screening material.
Gingrich and Osterberg (2003) suggested
that when designing new dock areas and
protected overhangs, the use of tubular
supports (square or oval) should be consid-
ered instead of I-beams. This practice
deserves serious consideration because I-
beams provide abundant nesting and roost-
ing areas. The ends of the tube members
should be completely sealed to prevent pest
entry into the interior area. Potential exclu-
sion materials are hardware cloth, expand-
able foam, and sheet metal. Overhangs in
loading/receiving dock areas should be con-
structed using a cantilever design that limits
the number of open supports. If horizontal
supports are required, they should be tube
members instead of I-beams. Window ledges
and other similar structures should be elimi-
nated it possible to avoid roosting and nest-
ing. Openings into the building and areas
under corrugated roofs must be sealed.
Lights should be erected on poles dis-
tanced from the building and directed
toward the area to be illuminated to elimi-
nate roosting and nesting sites for birds and
attraction of light to flying insects. Since
insects are attracted to the area of greatest
light intensity, they will gravitate toward the
light itself located several meters from the
building. Birds may be repelled from lights
through the installation of metal or plastic
“bird spikes” affixed to the light with a high
quality weather resistant adhesive. Building
lights should be sodium vapor lamps instead
of mercury vapor lamps since the former are
generally contracted to insects, while the lat-
ter are highly attractive.Equipment Design for Ready-to-Eat
Processing Operations
Stout (2003) presented the following prin-
ciples for equipment design in ready-to-eat
processing operations:- It is important that food processing and
handling equipment be designed and
constructed to ensure that it can be
effectively and efficiently cleaned. - Construction materials must be com-
pletely compatible with the product,
environment, cleaning and sanitizing
compounds, and cleaning and sanitiz-
ing methods. Equipment construction
materials must be inert, corrosion
resistant, nonporous, and nonabsorbent.
Through elimination of incompatible
materials in the construction of pro-
cessing equipment, the processor
reduces the likelihood of creating an
environment conducive to microbial
proliferation. - All parts of the equipment shall be
accessible for inspection, maintenance,
cleaning, and/or sanitation. Disassembly