This page reads two regulators side by side, the national standards body and the NSW Food Authority, and then turns to the advice for flies at home.
The duty, in two regulators’ words
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Under Standard 3.2.2, Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, a food business “must do everything it reasonably can to prevent pest problems”. FSANZ says this means pests are stopped from entering or living in the food premises, and are eradicated from the premises and from vehicles used to transport food.
Its guide to the standards, Safe Food Australia, covers pests under Standard 3.2.2 clause 24 and in Appendix 7.
NSW Food Authority
The NSW Food Authority says the Food Standards Code requires every food business to take practical steps to keep pests from entering the premises, to stop them sheltering and breeding there, and to eradicate any it finds.
It names flies among the common pests in food businesses, alongside cockroaches, ants, rats, mice and pigeons, and says most pest problems can be prevented through good cleaning, waste management and building maintenance.
Both regulators give the reason in nearly the same terms. FSANZ speaks of the harmful microorganisms pests can carry; the NSW Food Authority says pests can carry bacteria and viruses and contaminate food, equipment and surfaces.
The openings, side by side
FSANZ’s tips and the NSW Food Authority’s list of ongoing prevention overlap closely. Screens are on both: FSANZ suggests providing and maintaining mesh screens on windows, doors and other openings, and the NSW Food Authority says to install and maintain flyscreens on windows and door openings.
| Measure | FSANZ | NSW Food Authority | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesh screens or flyscreens on windows and doors | Listed | Listed | FSANZ adds other openings. |
| Weather strips at the base of doors | Listed | Listed | Same in both. |
| Doors kept closed when not in use | Listed | Listed | Same in both. |
| Self-closing doors, double doors or air curtains | Listed | Not listed | Only FSANZ lists it. |
| No holes, cracks or gaps in walls and ceilings | Listed | Listed | FSANZ adds floors and the gaps around pipes and wires. |
| Small servery openings for an open-front business | Listed | Not listed | Openings that can be opened and closed. |
A pest management plan
FSANZ suggests a pest management plan that covers four things:
- the types of pests and the treatments to be used;
- the areas that need inspection and treatment, such as behind appliances, inside wall cavities and cupboards, and under and inside boxes and packaging;
- where pest control devices and pesticides are placed, which should be where neither the pesticides nor killed pests can touch food or food contact surfaces, so not above food preparation areas, with a site map of their locations;
- how often inspections and treatments happen, which depends on the location, climate, food activities, type of pests and activity.
It adds that pesticides used should be approved for food premises and carry safety and expiry information, and that it is a good idea to keep reports of inspections and treatments: dates, the pest activity found, the chemicals or controls used, and any recommended actions, which should be done as soon as possible.
In NSW, the Food Authority says a business can manage pests itself or use a licensed pest controller, and that if an authorised officer from the Food Authority or the local council finds a pest problem that needs fixing, a range of compliance actions can follow.
Flies in the kitchen at home
The rules above are for food businesses. FSANZ’s tips for a food business run from home include keeping pests, dirt, waste and chemicals away from food, and protecting it from pets, children, visitors and sick people.
For an ordinary household, Victoria’s Better Health Channel suggests ways to make a home less attractive to flies before reaching for a pesticide:
- keep a tight lid on outdoor rubbish bins;
- keep garden compost in a well-sealed container;
- flies dislike pyrethrum, a common ingredient in fly spray, so pyrethrum daisies planted near the front and back doors may help repel flies and other insects;
- hang flytraps or fly paper outside, where flies tend to gather.
If you do use fly spray, the same page says to leave the room while it takes effect and to open the windows when you come back. It also says to choose the least toxic, lowest-schedule household pesticide available, and that household pesticide products should not be Schedule 7.
March flies
WA Health describes March flies as stout-bodied flies, 6 mm to 25 mm long with very large eyes, sometimes called horse flies. They are not known to transmit disease to people or livestock in Australia, but their bite can cause serious allergic reactions in some people, which may need hospital care. For houses and workplaces, WA Health’s advice is to make sure insect screens are installed and in good condition, and to swat them or use insecticide spray if they get indoors.
Across both regulators and both health departments on this page, the same piece of mesh turns up: on the windows and doors of a food business, and on the windows and doors of a home. For keeping that mesh whole, see caring for mesh.