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Step one in developing a food defense plan. Assessing the Vulnerabilities of Your Farm or Food business. The Farm-to-Table Food Supply Chain is Vulnerable. Production Agriculture Food Processing Retail Food Sales. Is Food Defense Different than Food Safety?.
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Step one in developing a food defense plan Assessing the Vulnerabilities of Your Farm or Food business
The Farm-to-Table Food Supply Chain is Vulnerable • Production Agriculture • Food Processing • Retail Food Sales
Is Food Defense Different than Food Safety? • Food Defense focuses on protecting the food supply fromintentional contamination. • Food Safety (HACCP) and Biosecurity focus on protecting the food supply from unintentional contamination. They help with, but are not a substitute for food defense.
Who Might Intentionally Contaminate a Food/Animal Facility? • Disgruntled employee/former employee • Contract or temporary employee • Members of extremist groups • Truck driver • Affiliate of a competing facility • Visitor to facility
Biological Agents: Injure by causing disease, or producing toxin. Chemical Agents: Injure through toxicity to biological systems, or chemical burns to tissue. Radiological Agents: Injure externally (radiation burns) or internally (organ damage). Potential Contaminants
What Makes an Attractive Agent of Intentional Contamination • Incubation period/delayed effect • Highly effective • History of use • Available (easily produced in adequate quantity) • Low traceability
Transmission of Chemicals Consider how a chemical might be “delivered” as an intentional contaminant: • Directly added during production process • Added to ingredients at the supplier level • Indirect addition during the production process(ex. Cleaning supplies or pesticides, packaging materials)
Transmission of Disease in Livestock Consider how a disease might be “delivered” as an intentional contaminant: • Aerosol (airborn) • Directs contact (including reproductive) • Fomite (contaminated object) • Oral (feed or water) • Vector-borne (insect transmission) • Zoonotic (transmission between humans and animals)
Transmission of Pathogens in Food Consider how a microbiological agent might be “delivered” as an intentional contaminant: • Directly added to finished product • Indirect addition to environment or finished product (ex.Listeria)
Government Guides • USDA – Pre-harvest Security Guide • USDA/Food Safety and Inspection Service – Developing a Food Defense Plan for Meat and Poultry Slaughter and Processing Plants • Food and Drug Administration – Guidance for Industry, Food Producers, Processers, and Transporters: Food Security Preventative Measures Guidance
Nine Questions to Assess Vulnerability • Is your outside perimeter secure? • Is access within your operation limited? • Are your processes secure? • Is your shipping and receiving secure?
Nine Questions to Assess Vulnerability (continued) • Do you have an inventory system for stored materials? • Is access to your water supply limited? • Is mail opened away from sensitive areas? • Do you have screening and training procedures for your workforce? • Is access to sensitive areas limited?