Overview of present and past and pest-associated risks in stored food and feed products: European perspective

This review provides an account on the published information regarding the historical development of pest status and risk of stored product pest monitoring in Europe over the past 80 years. Additionally, it documents several risks that have been recently identified such as (i) the arthropod filth contamination of flour; (ii) infestation of the locally produced hams and cheeses; (iii) infestation of pet food; (iv) European north-south geographical shift of pasta infestation by Sitophilus oryzae and dried fruits by Carpoglyphus lactis; (v) outdoor pest refugees; (vi) unattended rodent baits as sources of infestation. Although the reviewed literature identified an increasing mites and psocids as a threat, the quantitative data enabling a statistically-robust evaluation of population trends are missing in most of the European countries. Using several recent examples this review demonstrates the fragmented and methodically non-uniform published information on stored products pests' surveillance in Europe. Additionally, this review highlights the discrepancies between EU and USA in trade food and agricultural commodity quality/safety parameters demonstrated by missing thresholds for arthropod filth fragments in stored food in Europe.