Overview
Sanitation involves cleaning, washing, or disinfecting equipment and facilities to minimise the risk that pests could transfer onto the commodity.
- Sanitation is a common industry practice across the supply chain, especially for pathogens.
- Evaluating the efficacy of this measure requires demonstrating that sanitation practices kill the pest effectively and reduce the risk of pest transfer.
- Sanitation practices that are commonly used by industry can be considered when conducting a pest risk assessment. They can also be proposed as a phytosanitary measure.
- Assurance can be achieved through maintenance and audit of records of the critical steps in applying sanitation practices (e.g. autoclave records).
Evidence to support efficacy
Evidence is required to demonstrate that these practices successfully reduce the risk of pest transference. For example, that cleaning pruning shears between different plants successfully prevents the transference of a potential fungal pathogen pest throughout an orchard. Evidence to show the efficacy of any cleaning chemicals that are used will also be required. For instance, data showing that chlorine at 200 ppm inactivates the target pathogen.
Applying the measure
How it is used
Sanitation is a common industry practice across the supply chain, particularly in pest-free production facilities like pest exclusionary greenhouses, tissue culture laboratories, and processing plants. It is relevant where pathogens can move between hosts due to cultural practices such as pruning. Where sanitation practices are specific industry practices, for example in tissue culture laboratories, they can be considered during pest risk assessment. They can also be proposed as a phytosanitary measure.
Use with other measures
Sanitation is most used in combination with other measures that reduce risk of pest exposure, such as the use of pesticides and protected facilities.
Similar measures
Sanitation is different from hygiene measures because it is focused on killing or neutralising the pest on surfaces and preventing transfer risk, rather than controlling and removing sources of infestation risk. It also differs from surface cleaning, which specifically relates to reducing infestation rates on commodities or conveyances.
Assurance of correct implementation
Records of dates and times of sanitation practices may be required (e.g. autoclave records). Inspection of facilities by authorised personnel, with oversight by the NPPO or relevant authority of the exporting jurisdiction may be required to assess compliance with the measure requirements.