September 30, 2024

The AIB International Consolidated Standards for Inspection (AIBCSI) – Prerequisite and Food Safety Programs is a leading international food safety standard adopted by food businesses worldwide. 

The AIBCSI standard (standard) includes five categories, category 4 being Integrated Pest Management (IPM). 

The standard relies on IPM, which it defines as:

assessment, monitoring, and management

of pest activity to identify, prevent, and control conditions

 that could promote or sustain a pest population.”

The standard specifies that:

While it is important to remove pests from a facility, it is more important to prevent pests from ever having the opportunity to thrive in a food environment.

Clauses relating to Insect Light Traps (ILTs): The standard refers to ILTs in two clauses, 4.8 and 4.11.  In this blog post, we share those two clauses and explain how a food company can comply with those clauses while preparing for an AIBCSI audit.


In the explanation following each clause, we have elaborated its meaning to make it easy for an AIB Food Safety auditee to implement the standard at their food factory.

Clause 4.8 Monitoring Device Documentation: Monitoring device documentation is maintained to ensure that devices are properly placed and inspected and to allow trend activity analysis.


Explanation: The standard requires the right placement, regular device inspection, and trend analysis of pest activity in all pest monitoring devices including ILTs at the audit site. 

Thus, it is important to follow ILT placement guidelines like height from the ground, distance from open food, and not attracting flying insects from outside or towards food. 

Clause 4.8.1.1 A detailed survey of the entire facility is completed, and the results are documented and used to determine the placement of monitoring devices.

Explanation: The AIB auditor may ask the auditee how the arrived at ILT numbers and placement locations.  Hence, it is useful to do a documented facility risk assessment, and use its findings to decide on the number of ILTs and their sites.  The auditee can do such a survey at any time if they had not conducted a pest risk assessment prior to starting their ILT programme.

Clause 4.8.1.2 A current and accurate site map that lists the locations of all monitoring devices used for target pests is on file.

Explanation: The standard requires a site map showing all ILTs including their numbers on the map and on the device.   Further, the auditee must update the site map with the laest changes to ILT positions and numbers.  The identification and position of the ILTs on the map and on-site must match.

Clause 4.8.1.3 Temporary placement of pest monitoring devices for short-term monitoring is also mapped.  Device checks are documented according to the frequency defined by the IPM Program.  Devices that are no longer needed are accounted for and removed.

Explanation: The standard requires even temporarily placed ILTs to be mapped and included in the periodic device inspection schedule.  The standard also calls for identifying non-working devices or those that don’t help in flying insect monitoring to be identified and removed from their location.  The auditee must maintain records of the date of removal of unrequired ILTs.

Clause 4.8.1.4 Records of all services performed on all pest-monitoring devices are available.

Explanation: The standard requires that the auditee maintain service records of all ILTs, including service dates, activities performed, the person performing the service and the time taken.

Clause 4.8.1.5 Service records for monitoring devices match the IPM Program requirement.

Explanation: As an auditee company’s IPM Program determines pest management activities, the ILT program must also comply with the requirements of such a program.  This clause emphasises the need to comply with the company’s internal standards for ILTs.

Clause 4.11 Insect Light Traps: Insect light traps are used, as applicable, to assist in identifying and monitoring flying insects.

Explanation: The clause specifies that ILTs are to be used to identify and monitor flying insects and not as a control tool.  Though the clause does not refer to UV or blue or other light type, we presume it refers to commercial ILTs that mostly rely on UV and blue light to attract flying insects.

Critical Requirements

Clauses:

4.11.1.1 Insect light traps, when used, are installed farther than 3 m or 10 ft from food contact surfaces, exposed products, packaging, and raw materials in processing and storage areas.

4.11.1.2 Insect light traps are installed in a way that does not attract insects into the facility or near open food.

Explanation: Clause 4.11.1.1 specifies the need to maintain at least 3 m or 10 ft between ILTs and products, raw materials, product contact surface, exposed products and packaging in production and storage areas. 

The standard implies that siting ILTs minimises the risk of flying insects landing on material at a distance from exposed product or packaging.

Clause 4.11.1.2 highlights that the ILT placement should not attract flying insects from outside a factory or warehouse to the inside and should not attract flying insects to exposed products.

Clause 4.11.1.3 Service checks are routinely performed on all units, including remotely monitored devices, on a risk-based frequency.  Without an assessment, devices are checked weekly during the active season and monthly during colder seasons or as dictated by climate and activity rates.  

These checks include:

• Emptying collection devices

• Cleaning the units

• Repairs

• Checks for light breakage

Explanation: The standard introduces remotely controlled ILTs that are available in some countries.  It recommends establishing the frequency of checking ILTs through risk assessment at the start of a pest management programme and periodically after that. 

The clause allows for a varying frequency of ILT checking based on weather conditions and flying insect activity.  The AIB Food Safety auditor will expect a weekly check of ILTs in audit sites with constant flying insect activity.

Persons checking ILTs must empty flying insect killer trays or remove flying insect catcher glueboards.  The clause requires cleaning the units during the check to remove dirt, debris and dead insects.  Persons checking the ILT must also repair it to make it functional.  They must also check for light breakage, which would make the trap dysfunctional and create a glass hazard at a food factory.

Clauses:

4.11.1.4 Shatter-resistant lights are used in all units located in raw materials and production areas.  Other lights are managed in the facility’s Glass, Brittle Plastics, and Ceramics Program.

4.11.1.5 All services provided to light traps are documented.

4.11.1.6 Insect light traps monitor flying insect activity at locations identified by the annual IPM assessment.

4.11.1.7 The facility documents the types and quantities of insects found in the light traps and uses the information to identify and eliminate the source of activity.  Documentation can include but is not limited to identifying insect types (e.g., night-flying insects, flies, stored product insects, etc.) and quantities captured (specific or relative numbers [e.g., high, medium, low]) to evaluate the risks and determine appropriate control measures to be taken.

Explanation:

Clause 4.11.1.4 requires shatter-resistant lights in ILTs at a food factory’s storage and production areas to comply with a no-glass requirement.  Popular UV fluorescent tube manufacturers supply plastic-sleeved tubes to meet such a requirement.  Non-shatterproof UV fluorescent tubes must be covered under the factory’s Glass Policy.

As clause 4.11.1.5 requires the services to ILTs, periodic cleaning, repair, and part replacements must be documented.

Clause 4.11.1.7 clearly specifies that an ILT programme aims to identify and eliminate the source of flying insect activity.

It gives good tips for not using insect categories in the identification, not necessarily species and quantities, and not absolute numbers, as it would be tedious to count all insects trapped on an ILT. 

The most important aspect of 4.11.1.7 is the emphasis on control measures to prevent the continued influx of flying insects into a facility as identified through ILT catches. 

An auditee needs to institute measures like repairing damaged insect screens, installing or repairing door closers, identifying and disposing of infested products (having stored product insects), relocating trash containers, etc., to reduce the occurrence of flying insects in ILTs.

Minor Requirements

Clause 4.11.2.1 Insect light trap lights are changed at least annually at the beginning of the active season or based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Explanation: The clause requires the replacement of the UV fluorescent tubes once annually for those that last about 8000 hours, like most brands available internationally. 

By 2024, numerous ILTs rely on their LED light source life’s higher life so that an auditee can change such lights per the manufacturer’s recommendations. 

Giridhar Pai Associates inputs on ILTs for AIBCSI auditees:

Though the AIBCSI standard may not refer to UV LED Insect Light Traps, a few UV LED ILTs, including the FLYght Duo, are ideal for an AIBCSI audit site.

FLYght Duo suits an AIBCSI IPM program because:

  • It is inherently glass-free because UV LEDs do not contain glass.
  • As its UV LEDs last for 50,000 hours, replacing them for five years is unnecessary.

The AIBCSI is a leading global food safety standard, and the FLYght Duo is a leading global choice of food companies with stringent food safety standards. 

Contact us to learn how to switch your factory’s ILTs to the FLYght Duo UV LED Insect Light Trap.

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