HACCP PROGRAM FOR WAREHOUSES.

  There is a bit of confusion when it comes to Prerequisite programs (PRPs) and operation prerequisite programs (OPRPs).  According to ISO 22000: 2018, Prerequisite programs are basic activities and conditions within an organization that are necessary to maintain food safety. They include activities such as cleaning, waste management, and pest control. Operational prerequisite programs are control measures or a combination of control measures applied to reduce a significant food safety hazard to an acceptable level, and where action criterion, observation, or measurement enable effective control of the product or the process. They are also known as control points. Prerequisite programs take on different forms depending on the section of the food chain the company operates. These forms include but are not limited to the following; Good manufacturing practice Good hygiene practice Good production practice Good trading practice Good distribution practice Prerequisite

Pest control is very vital in warehouses that handle food products and related products as any form of infestation not only jeopardizes food safety but also portrays a bad image to the clients and turns away potential ones.  As a result of these negative effects of pest infestation, it's, therefore, the responsibility of the warehouse management to put in place pest control measures. Before diving into the  dos and don’ts  of the pest control program, let us get to know a bit about the common warehouse pests. By definition, a Pest is any animal or plant harmful to humans and interferes with their activities and desires. In the context of warehouses, pests are animals, not plants, and the human desire is a safe food or food-related product that is not contaminated by any means and cannot lead to adverse health complications such as illness. Warehouse pests are broadly categorized into the following; Insects Rodents Birds To control pests, one should know something about their