After the United States was attacked by terrorists in 2001, national security concerns shifted to finding our weaknesses. It became apparent that the US food supply chain was vulnerable.
Intentional contamination of our food supply is a genuine threat to public health and our economy. Keeping us safe requires vigilance, and food manufacturers, processors, and distributors play a central role in protecting the public.
That's why the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was born. It requires food suppliers to develop food defense plans that aim to prevent food intentional adulteration by an inside attacker. Here's why you need to take it seriously.
How Does Food Defense Work?
The goal of FSMA is to prevent anyone from attacking the food supply in the US. To achieve this, FSMA requires the development of food defense plans.
FDA has identified some preventive measures the food industry can take to mitigate risk. Their food defense examples address four basic food defense principles, categorized by operation type: uniformly mixed products and batches, large batch sizes, short shelf-life products, and easily accessible entry points.
This proactive approach shifts the focus from reacting to adulteration incidents to preventing them. The essential elements in a food defense plan revolve around continuous vulnerability assessment in specific risk areas.
A Good Offense Is the Best Defense
Ensuring each food producer, manufacturer, and distributor has an effective food defense program is the cornerstone of FSMA. And implementing a food defense program for your company has some real benefits.
1. A Food Defense Plan Protects Everyone
The proactive approach of food defense planning protects consumers, including your customers, from those who would attack our food supply chain.
It also protects you, your employees, your brand, and your company from physical harm and financial losses resulting from food adulteration.
2. Improve Overall Product Safety
Tighter controls can significantly improve your overall product quality and safety. Appropriate food defense training and improved facility security measures can help you identify new vulnerabilities. That allows you to address exposure proactively.
In addition to stopping bad actors in their tracks, a solid food defense program helps prevent accidental contamination events and product recalls.
3. Minimize Your Liability
Although FSMA aims to thwart terrorists, they aren't the most likely risk. The most common source of deliberate food adulteration is disgruntled employees seeking revenge on their employers. But Food Defense programs think even bigger than that. Could someone cause a wide-scale public harm event?
An effective food defense program accounts for all possible malicious attacks and helps prevent incidents by identifying your vulnerabilities and then applying mitigation steps to protect those steps. That minimizes liability and litigation risk and helps you maintain regulatory compliance.
4. Achieving a Zero-Event Goal and Avoiding Crisis
The goal of any food defense program is to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. An effective program acts as a deterrent by addressing food processing and handling vulnerabilities.
It also lays out the procedures for responding to any threat or attack on the food supply. This enables a company to avoid or manage a crisis.
5. Good Corporate Citizenship Builds Trust
Consumer confidence is critical for food suppliers, be they food processors, retailers, or restaurants. People need to trust that you are looking out for their safety. Your brand image reflects their level of trust.
If consumers don't trust your products will be safe, they won't buy them. That hurts your bottom line. Whereas a proactive food defense program instills trust, increasing profits.
Where to Go from Here
Food suppliers, processors, manufacturers, and distributors should prioritize developing and implementing an effective food defense plan. It's critical to national security and your company's profits.
It might seem like a daunting task, but it isn't one you need to face alone. At Paster Training, Inc., we're food safety and defense authorities. We can help you develop your food defense plan and train your staff to implement it properly. Contact us today to get started.