In light of public awareness of terrorist activities, the threat of an attack on the U.S food supply has received much attention in recent years. In fact our food supply chain from farm-to-table is vulnerable to intentional contamination or tampering not only from terrorists but also from a variety of people such as disgruntled employees and pranksters.
In 2001, United Fresh prepared the Food Security Guidelines and Questionnaire for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to provide a realistic assessment of relevant preventive measures suitable for produce operations. This produce-specific document is intended to aid produce operators in identifying preventive measures to minimize the risk of tampering, criminal, or terrorist activity in all segments of the supply chain from growing and packing through distribution of produce.
The FDA Food Defense and Terrorism website provides background information on the Bioterrorism Act and current information on FDA and other government agencies' activities in addressing food defense and terrorism. Useful tools developed by FDA include:
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ALERT web based training, developed to raise awareness regarding food defense issues and preparedness to allow industry to decrease the risk of intentional food contamination at their facility.
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CARVER + Shock, a software tool that can be used to assess the vulnerabilities within a system or infrastructure to an attack. It allows the user to think like an attacker to identify the most attractive targets for an attack. By conducting a CARVER + Shock assessment of a food production facility or process, the user can determine the most vulnerable points in their infrastructure, and focus resources on protecting the most susceptible points in their system.
Through the Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council (FASCC) United Fresh represents member’s interests to the Federal government. The FASCC members meet regularly and make policy and strategy recommendations to the Federal government.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) give information about emergency response and preparedness in event of public health emergencies and details agents, diseases, and other threats to public health.
The FBI's Field Offices are located in major cities throughout the United States. Contact the FBI office in your area to report any pertinent information that may be related to food security issues.
For more information, contact Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president food safety and technology.
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