The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that misuse of the natural world can have unforeseen consequences and that we need to take more and sustained action to prepare for the consequences.  For the fourth time this century – and we are only 20 years in – a virus thought to originate in bats has caused a major outbreak of a deadly disease – SARS, MERS, Ebola and now SARS-CoV-2. Another species or strain of coronavirus, Ebola or flu could cause a new pandemic at any time. As the Zika outbreak in 2015/6 showed, vector-borne diseases are also a major and ongoing threat. Vector-borne diseases ..read more

Before COVID-19, the food industry had a multitude of challenges: an ever-increasing complex supply chain, stringent legislation and rising standards for compliance and audits, political and environmental upheavals in parts of the world (Brexit, climate change), rising populations, with increasing demands on the food supply chain, and changing consumer expectations. Once the pandemic hit, businesses were faced with uncertainty, greater demands on their resources and the additional challenge of protecting their staff, customers and reputations by employing more vigorous hygiene practices. Cons ..read more

After a year of trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and social consequences, the world is at a crossroads, according to the UN. Addressing the One Planet summit in Paris on 11 January 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “2021 must be the year we reconcile humanity with nature. Until now we have been destroying our planet. … We have been poisoning air, land and water and filling oceans with plastics. Now nature is fighting back.” This drive is seen as a chance to put new energy into the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by ..read more

A business that has a problem with flies or other flying insects should take an integrated approach to eliminating the pests. This includes looking at both prevention methods and improving practices such as food hygiene that can remove or reduce the food and food waste that attract them. If you’re installing an insect light trap (ILT), the very first thing to consider is the difference between units that monitor or control a population. Monitoring units and control units look similar, but perform different tasks on premises (and areas within premises) with varying risks of the presence of fli ..read more

Before COVID-19, the food industry had a multitude of challenges: an ever-increasing complex supply chain, stringent legislation and rising standards for compliance and audits, political and environmental upheavals in parts of the world (Brexit, climate change), rising populations, with increasing demands on the food supply chain, and changing consumer expectations. Once the pandemic hit, businesses were faced with uncertainty, greater demands on their resources and the additional challenge of protecting their staff, customers and reputations by employing more vigorous hygiene practices. Cons ..read more

After a year of trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and social consequences, the world is at a crossroads, according to the UN. Addressing the One Planet summit in Paris on 11 January 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “2021 must be the year we reconcile humanity with nature. Until now we have been destroying our planet. … We have been poisoning air, land and water and filling oceans with plastics. Now nature is fighting back.” This drive is seen as a chance to put new energy into the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by ..read more

A business that has a problem with flies or other flying insects should take an integrated approach to eliminating the pests. This includes looking at both prevention methods and improving practices such as food hygiene that can remove or reduce the food and food waste that attract them. If you’re installing an insect light trap (ILT), the very first thing to consider is the difference between units that monitor or control a population. Monitoring units and control units look similar, but perform different tasks on premises (and areas within premises) with varying risks of the presence of fli ..read more

Flying insects cause a nuisance for businesses round the world. They’re an expensive problem. With over 120,000 species of flies spreading over 200 different pathogens worldwide, there is clearly a significant risk to businesses. Flies can carry diseases such as Salmonella and E. coli – and due to their lively lifecycles, a small fly problem can very quickly become an infestation. Such health risks can impact your customers, staff and productivity and cause reputational damage to your trade. “Good fly control is essential for every business as flies are capable of transmitting a wide range o ..read more

A fly infestation can spell disaster. Flies are one of the most likely insects to cause damage and disruption to a food service or food production business. They disturb the production process, hit revenue and pose major threats to health, safety and sanitary compliance – and there are 120,000 species worldwide, posing a health risk to staff, customers and livestock by spreading disease and contaminating goods. They also have a short lifecycle and can multiply rapidly, with some fly species able to mature from eggs to adults in just seven days. As you can imagine, that can cause a lot of turm ..read more

The COVID–19 pandemic continues to impact every industry and sector worldwide, but perhaps none more than the food industry. Lockdowns and restrictions to try and stop the spread of COVID-19 have led to shutdowns, closures and supply disruptions, from food packaging to processing and retail. Despite no scientific evidence to suggest that the virus is transmitted by food, consumer habits and attitudes have changed dramatically during 2020. Convenient and affordable, frozen food sales witnessed a resurgence during the pandemic and manufacturers and analysts are confident it ..read more