FOOD DEFENCE
Introduction
• Food defence is the protection of food from intentional contamination or
adulteration by individuals or groups for malicious purposes.
• The goal of food defence is to prevent harm to consumers and maintain the
integrity of the food supply chain.
• Biological threats such as pathogens, toxins or viruses that can not be
intentionally introduced into the food supply chain.
• Chemical threats such as pesticides, herbicides, and other hazardous
chemicals that can not be intentionally introduced into the food supply chain.
• Physical threats such as foreign objects, tampering are contamination of
food products.
Types of Food Defence
• Physical security measures such as access control and surveillance to
prevent unauthorized access to food facilities.
• Operational security measures such as employee background checks
and training to prevent intentional contamination by insiders.
• Food protection measures such as tamper-evident packaging and
product tracing to prevent contamination during distribution.
Risk assessment for food defence
• Risk assessment involves identifying potential vulnerabilities in the
food supply chain.
• The assessment should include an evaluation of the likelihood and
impact of intentional contamination events.
• Risk assessment should be followed by the development of a food
defence plan to mitigate the identified risks.
Food Defence Plan
• A food defence plan should include a vulnerability assessment,
mitigation strategies, and response procedures.
• The plan should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes
in the food supply chain and emerging threats.
• The plan should also include a communication strategy to inform
stakeholders in the event of an intentional contamination incident.
Food Fraud
• Food fraud refers to the intentional misrepresentation of food products
for economic gain.
• Common types of food fraud include substitution, addition of
undeclared ingredients, and mislabeling.
• Food fraud can pose a significant threat to public health and safety,
and it is often associated with organized crime.
Prevention of Food Fraud
• Prevention of food fraud requires a combination of regulatory
oversight, industry self-regulation, and consumer awareness.
• Technologies such as DNA testing, blockchain, and artificial
intelligence can be used to detect and prevent food fraud.
• Collaboration between stakeholders such as government agencies,
industry associations, and consumer groups is essential to prevent food
fraud.
Food Defence and COVID-19
• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of food
defence in ensuring the continuity of the food supply chain.
• The pandemic has increased the risk of intentional contamination due
to the disruption of supply chains and increased vulnerability of food
facilities.
• Food defence measures such as physical security, employee training,
and product tracing are critical to ensuring the safety and security of
the food supply chain during the pandemic.
Conclusion
• Food defence is an essential aspect of food safety management, and it
is critical to protecting public health and ensuring the continuity of the
food supply chain.
• Food defence requires a comprehensive approach that includes risk
assessment, mitigation strategies, and response procedures.
• Collaboration between stakeholders is crucial to preventing intentional
contamination and ensuring the safety and security of the food supply
chain.
