Food defense

Food defense is the protection of food from intentional contamination or harm. This differs from food safety, which is the protection of food from unintentional contamination. The concept of food defense is relatively new, having emerged in the early 21st century in response to increasing concerns about the vulnerability of the food supply chain to intentional harm.

History

The concept of food defense emerged in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001, when concerns about terrorism and the vulnerability of the food supply chain became more prominent. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began to develop guidelines and regulations to protect the food supply chain from intentional harm.

Principles

Food defense involves a range of strategies and practices designed to prevent the intentional contamination of food. These include:

• Risk assessment: Identifying and assessing the risks to the food supply chain, including potential sources of contamination and the potential impact of an attack.
• Preventive measures: Implementing measures to prevent an attack, such as improving security at food processing facilities and implementing traceability systems to track food from farm to fork.
• Response planning: Developing plans to respond to an attack, including measures to contain and mitigate the impact of contamination and to communicate with the public and other stakeholders.

Regulations

In the United States, the FDA and USDA have developed regulations and guidelines for food defense. The FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), passed in 2011, includes provisions for food defense. The USDA's Food Defense Plan Builder is a tool that helps food businesses develop a food defense plan.

Challenges

Food defense faces several challenges, including the complexity of the food supply chain, the difficulty of detecting intentional contamination, and the need for cooperation and coordination among various stakeholders.

See also

• Food safety
• Food security
• Foodborne illness
• Bioterrorism