Hello,
We are preparing for organic certification as a Handler. And our pest control company has indicated that the entire warehouse needs to be sealed and all doors kept closed at all times, and that our racks must be 18" from all walls. Which we are 8" now.
The organic product is purchased in bulk sealed cartons with product in sealed bags within carton with max wgt of 50 pounds, stored on pallets in segegated bin location.
We built a "clean room" for the processing of the bulk product into retail containers. The room has sealed doors with air curtians upon entry. Room is build on 2nd level in warehouse and is climate controlled. The room can only hold about half of the organic bulk product. The balance of the bulk product in sealed bags within cartons is stored in our warehouse in a racking system in segregated "organic" bin locations.
Our pest control company "expert" is recommending that we keep all the doors closed in our warehouse that the bulk organic in cartons in sealed bags be kept closed at all times due to insects. I have read the NOP USDA Facility Pest Control practices and can not find interpretation for this of bulk processed in sealed bags in cartons.
We are following the multi-level hierarchical approach and need clarification if the bulk in seal bags within corrugated cartons stored in warehouse is the same as raw bulk material storage
Thank you all in advance.