Insects are usually not a desirable ingredient in a cake or pie. The American Institute of Baking (AIB) strives to keep all pastries free of anything that crawls and does so by setting forth certain pest-control standards. While the AIB does not offer any certification in the area for pest-control companies, it does require businesses to uphold certain standards for the application of pesticides and other forms of control.

Allowable Outdoor Control

In an outdoor setting, certain pest-control devices are allowed that would not be used in an indoor situation. According to the AIB, bait stations can be used for rodents outside. These bait stations should be properly tamper-resistant, and there should be no less than 50 feet between each trap on the exterior of a building, according to the AIB. The institute also states that traps should be secured with locks, not with plastic ties.

Allowable Indoor Control

The regulations involving pest-control devices inside a business are stricter because of how close they are to food preparation areas. According to the AIB, trigger traps and glue boards are recommended, but no trap involving a feeding station should be used indoors. Indoor traps should be placed between 20 and 40 feet apart from one another, and a licensed contractor or food service worker should check and clean these traps a minimum of once per week. Regulations also change depending on the pest. The AIB states that electric insect control should be used indoors so that insects are not attracted to them from the outside, but such devices should also not be used within 10 feet of food preparation areas. Restaurant workers should put up screens or netting to keep birds away from food, but the AIB does not allow avicides to be used inside the business.

Documentation

Restaurants and other food-preparation buildings can opt to either perform pest-control operations in-house or they can contract this work out to a pest control specialist. According to the AIB, if in-house workers are involved, accurate records of pesticide use should be maintained along with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each pesticide used. If restaurants use a pest-control service, they should keep a contract of all services performed and materials used by the pest specialist. Food establishment owners should keep sample labels of all pesticides applied and documentation of all work done by the pest-control company, including what pest is targeted, how much pesticide is used and where it is sprayed, according to the AIB.