Gestione della difesa antiparassitaria in un'industria conserviera del nord Italia

PEST CONTROL MANAGEMENT IN A TOMATO PROCESSING PLANT IN NORTHERN ITALY Pest control management in a food factory has to deal both with problems common to different types of production caused by ubiquitous pests, and with problems typical of a specific production chain, as well as particular critical issues related to the location of a given plant in a specific geographical and environmental context and during a certain period of time. With regard to the sector of vegetable preserves, and specifically tomatoes, the problem must be examined in the different environments and on the foodstuff, and the stages of processing, their location and the product being processed and finished should be considered. This therefore involves taking into consideration the surroundings, the outdoor areas where the tomatoes are delivered and washed, and after processing are stored in drums prior to sale, the warehouse sheds communicating with the outside, the sequence of closed premises and machinery used for processing, and the product being processed, finished and possibly packaged. The various critical points and practices adopted are considered in this research with reference to a factory which produces double tomato concentrate, diced and fine pulp processed tomatoes and tomato sauce and is located in the agricultural context of the Po Valley. The proximity of crops, hedges, irrigation canals, and also of livestock farms and a composting center, contributes to the multiplication, both qualitatively and quantitatively, of local wild vertebrates (micromammals, reptiles) and invertebrates (insects and other arthropods, molluscs) which enter the premises. Among the flying insects, a significant share comprises flies (muscids, calliphorids, sarcophagids), which are contrasted externally along the perimeter with insecticidal baits, while jets of air hinder their entry through the doors and sticky threads intercept them inside. The windows are protected with fine mosquito nets. Sticky traps on the ground for crawling insects and light traps on the walls for flying insects (including among others drosophilids, but sometimes also the abundant presence of the micetophagid beetle Typhaea stercorea) protect warehouses and the premises in general. The problem of bedbugs (pentatomids), which in autumn find abundant shelter on pallets and drums outdoors, has grown significantly with the recent arrival in northern Italy of the allochthonous species Halyomorpha halys. The fight against murids is carried out by means of a double outer ring of bait dispensers. Useful monitoring is carried out on the finished and processed product through analysis checking for solid impurities, using for example the filth-test. The company exports most of the product and its customers are very aware of the problems of infestation and contamination, so it is particularly careful as regards prevention.