6 replies to this topic

[pavika]

Dear All,

Hey! Back again!

If there were a situation where a company X has made FUMIGATION STEP as one of their process CCPs, where their critical limit is NO LIVE INSECTS.

Now, for the continuous verification of the same, is it enough to prove that the theoretical conditions required for killing the pests in the fumigation chamber are being maintained, for ex. 3 to 5 AlP tablets per meter cube?
OR Verification of the same needs to be done by making sure that there are no live insects by any means.
The means can include, placing a vial containing eggs, larval and pupal form of the target pest in the fumigation stack and observe them for their whole life cycle for no scope of life.
OR, Visual Inspection of the same to make sure there are no live insects, if possible.

What do you think

Thanks in advance

Pavika

[SandyH]

Hi Pavika,

I would first of all be a bit nervous of fumigating in a food industry and secondly why would you want to make it a CCP when Pest Control is classified as a PRP? What food do they manufacture and what pests are you referring to?

[Milos Vasic]

Is company X interested in having product just fumigated or product cleaned from any live or dead form of insects?This is regulated by legislation. I will try to find some specifications from fumigant producers which describe effect of fumigant on most common pests. I guess that certificate of consentration of tablets per cubic meter should be enough.
I do not think that test with deliberately added pest is needed.

[sarahfoodtech]

:rolleyes:Hi pavika,

I've worked with grain in Canada.

Fumigation is a CCP here, when shipping. I can totally understand in India with such a humid and hot climate that you would need to fumigate. (Possibly every load) What I don't know is what is allowed in your country. Can employees for company X fumigate? In Canada we can't, so a Pest Control Operator must complete the process for us. If your company X, does or does not fumigate themselves, they can get a PCO to consult for them to determine the amount of fumigant to use and also adivse on the safe use of the chemical for employees. International shipments almost always require fumigation to get through customs.

Also note that on fumigation you have a critical limit for the fumigant to wear off. You need to have a certain reading of residual levels in the air or product before it is safe for human consumption and handling. (Contact a PCO)

The CCP on live insects can be completed by recieving inspection of raw material and inspection finished product prior to shipment. The easiest test I know of is to take 100-200 g of a represetative sample of the lot you are planning to fumigate, sift on a screen and catch the debris in the smallest pan. Place the pan under a lamp for 10-20 minutes. This will show you live bugs, they will start moving because of the heat from the light.

If in your climate you have bugs on each lot, this test will also work. After fumigating take a representative sample (7n) of the product, using the 100-200 g shake test, and place under a heat lamp. If there is no movement you have successfully killed your critter's.

Let me know if I'm off course with my reply, if you give me more details I am be of more help!

[MRios]

I agree with Sandy. It´s not a CCP, but a PRP.
Or is this for treating infested flour? If it were so, I would not use this as part of the reprocessed material that is usually added to flour. I suggest you either send it to the shorts or bran, if they are to be used for animal consumption only. If it´s too infested, it would be best to fumigate it and throw it out.

[foodsafetyboy]

What products are you manufacturing?
Is fumigation part of a process?
I believe fumigation is not a CCP but rather a PRP (as what the other members advised)

regards, food safety boy

[asshijie]

IMO, fumigation should be the last step before shipping and should not be consided as a processing step or a PRP. Most of them are done by contractor.