What are the dangers of pest contamination in food?
- Transmission of pathogens
- Rapid bacteria multiplication
- Cross-contamination
- Exposure to parasites
- Stored food contamination
Pest contamination in food is not only well-known in the food manufacturing industry but in regular households as well. Luckily, some pest control services offer free pest inspections to help prevent these hazardous instances that can endanger the health of individuals from happening. Pest contamination is bad enough, but when it affects your food supply, then it will pose many health risks that you could’ve avoided altogether. Together with a pest control expert, you should push efforts to prevent the dangers of pest contamination in food below.
Transmission of Pathogens
It is common knowledge that pests can be the dirtiest and deadliest creatures in the world. They are responsible for many of the well-known diseases which have ultimately caused the demise of countless people. For instance, just a small amount of their droppings or urine can cause diseases and even damage your home. When pests are the culprit of food contamination, the frequency with which they can affect people in your home increases astoundingly!
The transmission of pathogens can happen through one of three ways: bacterial contamination, viral contamination, or parasite contamination. This can happen when the saliva, droppings, blood, or fecal matter of a pest is transferred into your food. The transmission of pathogens can cause hundreds or even thousands of cases of food poisoning worldwide which is why it is essential to maintain the best food-handling precautions as recommended by pest control services.
Rapid Bacteria Multiplication
Bacteria can multiply very quickly, especially in a warm, damp environment like containers full of food. Pests tend to defecate even while eating food but make no mistake, they do this no matter the food that they are eating. Once consumed, these droppings can be responsible for dangerous and often fatal diseases such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), Salmonella enterica infection, Listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes, etc. Bacteria can spread pretty quickly, sometimes in a matter of minutes.
The velocity of their multiplication might seem exaggerated, but it really can multiply its size every 20 to 30 minutes. This is bad news especially if your food is constantly ridden by pests. The health risk that this poses for humans can be astounding because this multiplication will eventually lead to food poisoning. Pests can contaminate and destroy food worldwide that is enough to feed up to over 200 million people!
Cross-Contamination
Pests that contaminate food can be the cause of cross-contamination – otherwise known as the passing of bacteria from a contaminated source to an uncontaminated one. This means that even if you are confident that your food was not exposed to the risk of contamination, it is still possible that you can contract diseases from it due to cross-contamination caused by pests.
Although there are cases where cross-contamination can be caused by improper food handling, pest contamination can also be the reason for this. An example of cross-contamination is when an uncontaminated piece of meat is placed in contact with a pest-contaminated one.
Exposure to Parasites
This type of hazard can be attributed to the presence of cockroaches and other insect pests. Cockroaches can spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria and 6 kinds of parasitic worms. When transferred to food, they can expose humans to diseases such as Escherichia coli and Shigellosis.
Pests can carry germs and bacteria which can easily be transferred to food, food surfaces, and other food processing equipment. Human pathogens such as Salmonella enterica, Vibrio cholerae, and Staphylococcus aureus are all harmful specimens carried by pests which causes dangerous diseases in humans.
Stored Food Contamination
The pests involved in this occurrence can range from flour beetles, weevils, cockroaches, and sometimes even termites. Food contamination in this category happens when pests leave body parts and cast skins or wings within the food that is stored. Also, another major concern about these pest body parts is that they can be ground up along with food products like grains and cereals making them almost undetectable, but just as lethal to humans.
Key Takeaway
Making the effort to prevent pest contamination in food should be done as early as the first pest detection that you have experienced. With that, a free pest infection will be delivered to you by a reliable pest control provider near you so it would do you good to contact one today.