8 replies to this topic

[hacksalot]

We're a company that produces food processing aids.  During our recent SQF Audit, the auditor found a single ant on our production floor and gave us a minor non-conformance for it.  We did a brief survey of the area and could not find any additional ants or ant trails,  nor reasons for the ant being in the area, such as food or food wrappers. We don't even us raw materials that would be considered as attractants to ants, other than maybe water.  Anyway, this leaves numerous possibilities for the reasons how the ant got into the area, and I believe most likely it was carried in there by some other means.  Heck, even the auditor could have carried it into the area via her shoes.  My question is, what do I put down for a root cause for our response to the find?

 

Thanks in advance:-)

[jfrey123]

That's some weak sauce...  They won't bat an eyelash when insects are in the ILT's unless the numbers are astronomical, but a single ant found roaming requires a full on CAPA?  I guess I get it, but I still think it's weak lol.

 

What do the PCO insect records show for the area?  If you have issues with crawling insects around the facility overall, that's one thing, but crawling insects are rare in all 12 of the facilities we oversee.  If this room has any exterior facing walls, have you inspected the outside to see if ants are present?  Any cracks along the perimeter of the room that could allow for ingress?

 

Lastly, does your PC program cover a level of infestation that would trigger additional steps?  I don't think my company's corporate SOP triggers anything for a single crawling insect, and we would cite that if we caught such a finding, but that's not going to be enough to satisfy an SQF finding.  If you run through an investigation that is thorough and truly find no deficiencies (cracked floor, gaps in nearby doors, cracks in walls, no colony directly outside, etc.), I would note that.  For the corrective action part, possibly notifying the PCO and requesting temp bait traps to the area could be worth a shot.  For preventative, possibly consider an increased monitoring frequency for the area temporarily to ensure ants don't start marching two-by-two, hurrah, hurrah.

[hacksalot]

That's some weak sauce...  They won't bat an eyelash when insects are in the ILT's unless the numbers are astronomical, but a single ant found roaming requires a full on CAPA?  I guess I get it, but I still think it's weak lol.

 

What do the PCO insect records show for the area?  If you have issues with crawling insects around the facility overall, that's one thing, but crawling insects are rare in all 12 of the facilities we oversee.  If this room has any exterior facing walls, have you inspected the outside to see if ants are present?  Any cracks along the perimeter of the room that could allow for ingress?

 

Lastly, does your PC program cover a level of infestation that would trigger additional steps?  I don't think my company's corporate SOP triggers anything for a single crawling insect, and we would cite that if we caught such a finding, but that's not going to be enough to satisfy an SQF finding.  If you run through an investigation that is thorough and truly find no deficiencies (cracked floor, gaps in nearby doors, cracks in walls, no colony directly outside, etc.), I would note that.  For the corrective action part, possibly notifying the PCO and requesting temp bait traps to the area could be worth a shot.  For preventative, possibly consider an increased monitoring frequency for the area temporarily to ensure ants don't start marching two-by-two, hurrah, hurrah.

[hacksalot]

 

That's some weak sauce...  They won't bat an eyelash when insects are in the ILT's unless the numbers are astronomical, but a single ant found roaming requires a full on CAPA?  I guess I get it, but I still think it's weak lol.

 

What do the PCO insect records show for the area?  If you have issues with crawling insects around the facility overall, that's one thing, but crawling insects are rare in all 12 of the facilities we oversee.  If this room has any exterior facing walls, have you inspected the outside to see if ants are present?  Any cracks along the perimeter of the room that could allow for ingress?

 

Lastly, does your PC program cover a level of infestation that would trigger additional steps?  I don't think my company's corporate SOP triggers anything for a single crawling insect, and we would cite that if we caught such a finding, but that's not going to be enough to satisfy an SQF finding.  If you run through an investigation that is thorough and truly find no deficiencies (cracked floor, gaps in nearby doors, cracks in walls, no colony directly outside, etc.), I would note that.  For the corrective action part, possibly notifying the PCO and requesting temp bait traps to the area could be worth a shot.  For preventative, possibly consider an increased monitoring frequency for the area temporarily to ensure ants don't start marching two-by-two, hurrah, hurrah.

 

 

Agreed, it's weak sauce, and any other auditor we've had would have just mentioned it at most and moved on.  We have a pest control company do our pest control, but does not include ants.  We're a low risk product, and ants are clean creatures and not really a food safety concern, although nobody would want to see them in their food products, except for maybe Survivorman.  We have one wall that's common with the outside parking lot, and inspected that, along with interior walls for egress, but found nothing suspicious.  And could find no other ants in other parts of the building where ants would more likely to be found.  My gut feeling is it was a hitchhiker that got in on something else.  Thanks for the input.  Definitely going to put into our response to the non-conformance. 

[TimG]

I might try to fight that one..

Which section of the code did they cite?

[hacksalot]

I might try to fight that one..

Which section of the code did they cite?

 

11.2.4.  Food products, raw materials, or packaging that are found to be contaminated by pest activity shall be effectively disposed of, and the source of pest infestation shall be investigated and resolved. Records shall be kept of the disposal, investigation, and resolution.  

 

One ant on the floor doesn't seem to me to fit what the auditor gave has their reasoning for the NC above.  Our HACCP team has decided to appeal.   

[Lynx42]

I'd fight that one too, but I'd still talk to my PCO and ask them to keep an eye out for ants. One ant is not an "infestation" and it being on the floor does not indicate "contamination."  

 

The definition of infestation is: The presence of an unusually large number of insects or animals in a place, typically so as to cause damage or disease.  

 

We had to fight an auditor who told us we weren't properly baiting the outside stations when only a handful of stations get nibbles during the summer.  Our PCO says it's rare for all the bait to be consumed between visits unless pavement ants get in there.  We do watch for ants, but it's only been a bait station issue so far, they haven't gotten inside the building.  Our PCO puts down ant bait for them outside when he sees them as a preventative measure.

[TimG]

11.2.4.  Food products, raw materials, or packaging that are found to be contaminated by pest activity shall be effectively disposed of, and the source of pest infestation shall be investigated and resolved. Records shall be kept of the disposal, investigation, and resolution.  

 

One ant on the floor doesn't seem to me to fit what the auditor gave has their reasoning for the NC above.  Our HACCP team has decided to appeal.   

I would record the pest sighting on the pest control log, alert the PCO as Lynx said, and also involve the PCO in the appeal process. My PCO would have no problem writing me a nice write-up on their letterhead and get very technical about why in their professional opinion the products weren't contaminated or at risk of contamination. How there was no 'infestation' as per their professional definition of infestation, and I'm sure many more things.

[GMO]

Meh, in my view, when the auditor has left site, I wouldn't battle on a single non con unless it fundamentally changed a customer's view of me.

 

What if you mentally flipped it on its head and said "ok, perhaps a single ant WAS a sign of something, what could it be and what do we have in place to mitigate and prevent?"

 

Do an RCA and include all of the controls you have or could have.  Are they working?  For example look for:

 

Are pallets stored outside?

What is door control like?

Are there any gaps in fabrication?

Do you have crawling insect monitors?  Are they correctly sited and are they showing activity?

What kind of ant was it?  Garden and casual intruder?  Something harder to get rid of e.g. Pharaoh ant?

How do you train staff in pest awareness and reporting?  Is that effective?  I.e. do you have any reports from your teams?

How are your pest actions followed up on?  Are they up to date?

How are pests avoided off shoes?  Do you have captive footwear or mats?  Are they working?

 

I'd then compile all of that and more I think you will think of specific to site.  Do any actions, write it up, close out non con.  

 

In my view, is it picky?  Hell yes but one ant in an area rarely in my experience actually means one ant.  It means there are probably more.  I'd want to rule that out and if nothing else it's a good and thorough review of your crawling insect (intruder and SPI) controls.  You might find other things when you really delve.  I'm not sure if they service US as well but we used to have a company called Acheta in the UK, I think now owned by Kiwa who do in depth and response visits.  Not crazy expensive and really look at what your pest management companies miss.  Trust me, they miss A LOT.  All of them.  Your technologists start doing short cuts, get to know the site too well etc.  If you get the chance to get someone like that in at some point, I would whether it's for this issue or just in general.  For most pest management companies if they sent me a letter head with "this isn't an issue" I'd think BS.  I've found too many incidents of pest activity in my own sites and supplier sites to believe that.  So I think that would go down (in this glorious British phrase) like a bucket of cold sick.