Are there any food safety concerns with Plants in an office?

Hello all,

At a packer/shipper location there is a NO PLANT policy in the office. The office connected with the processing facility and warehouse.

Due to the dirt in the pot being a possible contaminant and overwatered plants would possibly create nats (spelling?) would become an issue.

Curious if I need to implement this policy because our offices also connect to processing and warehousing.

Does anyone think there are food safety concerns?

Thanks,

Hello,

First it's gnats.  It's one of the few words I know how to spell lol.

Have is an interesting word to use.  Do you HAVE to? No.  You have, or should have, a good pest control program and that would include flying insects (including gnats).

Should you?  That's up to you personally.  If you've had it a long time and never had a problem then I'd say no.  It's making your workers fresh oxygen :lol2:

Merle

Hello,

 

First it's gnats.  It's one of the few words I know how to spell lol.

 

Have is an interesting word to use.  Do you HAVE to? No.  You have, or should have, a good pest control program and that would include flying insects (including gnats).

 

Should you?  That's up to you personally.  If you've had it a long time and never had a problem then I'd say no.  It's making your workers fresh oxygen :lol2:

 

Merle

Thank you, I knew it was gnat, but I doubted myself lol.

Okay, I supposed I can include it in our pest control plan and have flying insects included into the specs.

Thanks for your feedback.

Yeah I am absolutely terrible at spelling and that's the one thing I don't like about Excel is that it doesn't tell me when I misspell words and if I forget to spell check it looks bad. lol  So when I actually know I word I jump all over it :roflmao:

Do you have fly lights / pheromone traps / etc?

Hello all,

 

At a packer/shipper location there is a NO PLANT policy in the office. The office connected with the processing facility and warehouse.

 

Due to the dirt in the pot being a possible contaminant and overwatered plants would possibly create nats (spelling?) would become an issue.

 

Curious if I need to implement this policy because our offices also connect to processing and warehousing.

 

Does anyone think there are food safety concerns?

 

Thanks,

Hi there,

As they connect to processing and warehousing and I assume people are accessing those areas from the offices I would avoid having plants for the concerns indicated such as flying insects and possible micro contamination.

Regards,

Tony

It's all in controlling the risk in my opinion.  How removed is the offices from production?  Do you have foot foamers or boot washes?  Do you have a robust pest program?  Can you set the pot up to ensure that none of the soil/water will come out (underneath pot cover, distance from soil to top of pot).

You can do it if you want just make sure you have proper programs in place to protect your product.

 I can understand your concern about the plants. I have seen them inside packaging manufacturing areas which are a major issue, but if you office is remote and outside the critical hygiene area then their appears to be little risk.

I take it you have included the office areas in your food safety risk assessment programme?

Merry Christmas

Peter