Food Defence and Security: The New Reality

Chapter 5 - Food Defense

BackgroundVarious stages of the food chain, from production to processing to distribution, can impact food safety. The concept of “food defense” has emerged as a countermeasure against intentional contamination of food with foreign substances. Although knowledge of food hygiene is common among consumers, there are currently no reports of consumer surveys on food defense.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate consumer awareness of food defense and food safety. We analyzed the results focusing on how consumers behave when they find abnormalities in food to further our knowledge on promoting food defense measures.MethodsParticipants completed a web-based questionnaire that included items related to awareness of food safety and food defense, as well as actions to be taken in cases of food abnormalities, such as contamination by foreign substances, the presence of a bad smell in purchased food, and the inclusion of extra items not selected by the individual. The participants were asked to indicate their preference among the 5 suggested actions in each case using a 6-point Likert scale. Data analysis involved aggregating responses into binary values. Stepwise linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between selected actions and questionnaire items, such as sex, age, and personality.ResultsA total of 1442 respondents completed the survey, and the majority of participants placed importance on food safety when making food purchases. The recognition of each term was as follows: 95.2% (n=1373) for “food security and safety,” 95.6% (n=1379) for “food hygiene,” and 17.1% (n=247) for “food defense.” The percentages of those who answered that they would “eat without worrying” in the case of “contamination by foreign substances,” “bad smell,” or “including unpurchased product” in the frozen food they purchased were 9.1% (n=131), 4.8% (n=69), and 30.7% (n=443), respectively. The results showed that contacting the manufacturer was the most common action when faced with contaminated food or food with a bad smell. Interestingly, a significant percentage of respondents indicated they would upload the issue on social networking sites. Logistic regression analysis revealed that male participants and the younger generation were more likely to choose the option of eating contaminated food without worrying. Additionally, the tendency to upload the issue on social networking sites was higher among respondents who were sociable and brand-conscious.ConclusionsThe findings of this study indicate that if food intentionally contaminated with a foreign substance is sold and delivered to consumers, it is possible consumers may eat it and experience health problems. Therefore, it is crucial for not only food manufacturers but also food delivery service providers to consider food defense measures such as protecting food from intentional contamination. Additionally, promoting consumer education and awareness regarding food defense can contribute to enhancing food safety throughout the food chain.

The recent food and financial crises developed from different underlying causes but intertwined in complex ways through their implications not only for ­financial and economic stability, food security, political security; but also for greater diligence in food defense against deliberate contamination with either economic or terrorist motives. Food security is a hot topic therefore; its disruption via environmental breakdown is an obvious cause for terrorism. The intentional contamination of the food supply poses a real threat to society. It has the potential to disrupt food ­distribution, loss of consumer confidence in government and the food supply, business failures, trade restrictions, and adverse effects on the economy. The global food system is very vulnerable, both structural and social. The bulk production and need for rapid ­production, sourcing and distribution at both national and international level is beyond the limits of routine food safety measures of the industry; especially against high-impact deliberate contamination. Adapting to the additional threats to food security arising from major environmental changes requires an integrated food system approach – strengthening the sector’s infrastructure against deliberate contamination – thereby making the food system less vulnerable to attack(s) or destructive economic outcomes. In this respect vulnerability assessment arouses as an alternative to address food ­supply-chain security by determining the selection of countermeasures to minimize or eliminate vulnerabilities as well as enhancing the capability to identify, respond and recover from intentional contamination and emergency responses.

With increasing global interest in intentional food contamination, expert meetings have been held by the G8, while the U.S. government has proposed policies for preventing food terrorism and intentional contamination. However, Japan has no food defense policy, and some food companies are concerned about an impending terrorism and contamination crisis. We developed a Food Defense Checklist for Food Producers and Processors and published the details on the website. We also developed tentative Food Defense Guidelines for Food Producers and Processors on the basis of the checklist. In this study, we tested the usability of the guidelines through a hearing survey regarding food plants. We also compared the checklist with the implementation manual for the approval system of Comprehensive Sanitation Management and Production Process (the Japanese equivalent of the HACCP). We organized the comments gleaned from the hearing survey and provided a detailed explanation of the guidelines. As the HACCP has been adopted by Japanese food companies, we included both precautionary measures and the HACCP perspective in the explanation regarding the rapid dissemination of information. The guidelines are useful for Japanese food companies, and it is important to disseminate knowledge on this topic and implement food defense measures.

This paper reports results from a large, six-nation, internet-based survey of consumer attitudes toward food safety and food defence administered during the fall of 2008. Responses were obtained from separate samples of approximately 1,000 each in Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the USA. Food defence was generally a greater concern, and respondents were less confident that their food supply was well protected against terrorist attack than they were that their food was safe from contamination from naturally occurring pathogens. Respondents also believed a greater percentage of national food protection budgets should be spent on food safety rather than food defence. Processors were considered most responsible for both food safety and food defence, with government also playing a major role in food defence.

Terrorist attacks on critical infrastructures can cause problems to a national stability and functioning. Food and water supply chains are some of the most important infrastructures, and it is the country's (government's) obligation to provide sufficient quantities of food and water to its population. Intentional food contamination can, among other motives, originate from an act of terrorism (with political or ideological motives) with the aim of causing fear (terror) among people. Food defence systems can help assess vulnerabilities, determine mitigation strategies for terrorist attack, estimate risks, and prevent a terrorist attack. Risk assessment and prevention also include control over the production and distribution of potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) agents or their related materials. When a terrorist attack occurs, rapid and organised response is essential in terms of determining the type of agent used, managing the diseased, ensuring the functioning of the food and water supply, and the recovery of the infrastructure system under attack. Food defence planning as part of a food counterterrorism strategy should include considerations regarding the global food market and the fact that ingredients are supplied from all over the world (vendor certificates). Preventing terrorist attacks on sources of food and water is a far better option than crisis management once an attack had already been committed, but governments should have a response to any scenario.

The food industry has many points of vulnerability in its supply chain. It currently lacks integrated crisis management and response programs to understand the importance of decision-making during and in the aftermath of a bioterrorist attack on the food supply. Computer simulations have been used successfully in other industries as training and analysis tools. This paper describes an agent-based simulation for food defense training and analysis. Production information, consumption patterns, morbidity/mortality rates, recall costs and additional information were collected and provided to a data-driven simulation to anticipate the impact of decision-making on economic and public health during a terrorist attack. A case study is given with a representative exercise involving forty industry representatives who participated in a food defense simulation. Their decisions (recall and microbiological and toxicological testing) were derived from testing results, press releases, epidemiological data, and discussions with other industry and regulatory teams. Decisions made during the simulation resulted in over 76,000 illnesses, 45 deaths, and $132 million in recall costs. The no intervention, baseline scenario estimated to result in 91,000 illnesses and 54 deaths, indicating the improved public health outcomes resulting from players’ decisions. Participants identified three key learning points: 1) communication between all groups is pertinent and challenging, 2) approaches to solve inherent food safety problems cannot be used to address food defense situations, and 3) human resource procedures regarding new hires and disgruntled employees should involve additional security measures. This computer simulation could be a valuable resource in food defense awareness and help educate companies and regulators about food defense risks and decision-making consequences.

Literature examining demographics of consumers most concerned about acts of agro terrorism or terrorism in general is limited due to inadequate data. A first effort to fill this information gap was made possible by a 2005 survey conducted by the University of Minnesota. The “National Survey of Attitudes of U.S. Residents about Terrorism.” surveyed 4,260 Americans. Results showed 31 percent of respondents were not confident their food supply was secure from acts of terrorism, while 77 percent felt an act of food terrorism would occur in their lifetime. This paper is divided into three sections of analysis. First, the demographics of surveyed respondents who believe an agro terrorist attack will occur within the next four years are reported. Second, the level of concern respondents have regarding how secure the food supply is from terrorist attacks is incorporated. Lastly, the impact additional information has on how respondents allocate money towards food defense is explored. Specifically, we investigate whether the size of respondent’s communities and their general attitude towards the safety of the food supply has any impact on their level of concern towards the security of their food supply. Other demographics analyzed include gender, education level, race and primary source of news information. Binary logistic models are used in all stages of analysis. Initial findings suggest demographics have little impact on who is most likely to believe an agro terrorist event will occur in the next four years, while regional market size, education, race and age were the demographics of those most concerned about acts of agro terrorism. The final stage of analysis reported females and well educated individuals were most likely to allocate more money towards protecting the food supply from acts of agro terrorism when additional information was provided.

This large outbreak of foodborne disease highlights the challenge of investigating outbreaks caused by intentional contamination and demonstrates the vulnerability of self-service foods to intentional contamination. To investigate a large community outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections. Epidemiologic investigation of patients with Salmonella gastroenteritis and possible exposures in The Dalles, Oregon. Cohort and case-control investigations were conducted among groups of restaurant patrons and employees to identify exposures associated with illness. A community in Oregon. Outbreak period was September and October 1984. A total of 751 persons with Salmonella gastroenteritis associated with eating or working at area restaurants. Most patients were identified through passive surveillance; active surveillance was conducted for selected groups. A case was defined either by clinical criteria or by a stool culture yielding S Typhimurium. The outbreak occurred in 2 waves, September 9 through 18 and September 19 through October 10. Most cases were associated with 10 restaurants, and epidemiologic studies of customers at 4 restaurants and of employees at all 10 restaurants implicated eating from salad bars as the major risk factor for infection. Eight (80%) of 10 affected restaurants compared with only 3 (11%) of the 28 other restaurants in The Dalles operated salad bars (relative risk, 7.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.4-22.7; P<.001). The implicated food items on the salad bars differed from one restaurant to another. The investigation did not identify any water supply, food item, supplier, or distributor common to all affected restaurants, nor were employees exposed to any single common source. In some instances, infected employees may have contributed to the spread of illness by inadvertently contaminating foods. However, no evidence was found linking ill employees to initiation of the outbreak. Errors in food rotation and inadequate refrigeration on ice-chilled salad bars may have facilitated growth of the S Typhimurium but could not have caused the outbreak. A subsequent criminal investigation revealed that members of a religious commune had deliberately contaminated the salad bars. An S Typhimurium strain found in a laboratory at the commune was indistinguishable from the outbreak strain. This outbreak of salmonellosis was caused by intentional contamination of restaurant salad bars by members of a religious commune.

Chapter 35 - Food Defense

Food defense KPI in the business processes of the food supply chain

Nowadays, incidents related to intentional contamination of food products are a huge problem in the whole food supply chain. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness of food defence at every level of the food chain, from farm to fork, from government and academic institutions to retail chains, the media and consumers. The principles of food defence can be implemented at every level of the food chain. Food defence contributes to the mitigation of potential risks in intentional contamination and food fraud, which can have a harmful effect on humans and public health, business, economy, etc. The requirement for the implementation of food defence comes from retail chains. They require food companies to be certified according to the standards of the food safety system such as those supported by the Global Food Safety Initiative. Although food defence is an inevitable step in enhancing and strengthening the whole food safety system, on a global scale, an insufficient number of countries have incorporated food defence principles into their legal frameworks. The intention of this review article is to increase awareness of food defence in food industry.

Intentional contamination of the food supply poses a real and potentially catastrophic threat to society. Overall, it has the potential to result in disastrous and far-reaching effects, including direct morbidity and/or mortality, disruption of food distribution, loss of consumer confidence in government and the food supply, business failures, trade restrictions, and ripple effects on the economy. Key interrelated factors specific to food and the food system create this unusual vulnerability, both structural and social. The efficiency of the food system enables products derived from a wide range of global sources to be sourced, produced, and distributed rapidly due to the speed of national and global just-in-time supply chains. The food industry’s routine food safety measures are not designed to protect against high-impact deliberate contamination. When contamination occurs, identification of its nature and extent may take days, weeks, or even longer. Unintentional foodborne illness can further complicate recognition of intentional contamination events due to the delay in positive association of illnesses to the intentional event. The food/agriculture sector’s infrastructure must be strengthened to mitigate potential harm resulting from deliberate contamination, thereby making the food system less vulnerable to attack or destructive economic outcomes. New upward price pressures, declining economies, and constantly changing global trade along the food system supply chain have introduced a new urgency for greater diligence in food defense against deliberate contamination with either economic or terrorist motives. Initiatives include the development of specific countermeasures to minimize or eliminate vulnerabilities, as well as the development of practical solutions that enhance the capability to rapidly identify, contain, respond to, and recover from intentional contamination, both real and threatened. These activities must encompass the entire worldwide farm-to-table food system, from pre-farm inputs through retail sale, consumer food consumption, and public health system response.KeywordsFood safetyIntentional contamination

PurposeConsumer confidence in the European food industry has been shaken by a number of recent scandals due to food fraud and accidental contamination, reminding the authors that deliberate incidents can occur. Food defence methods aim to prevent or mitigate deliberate attacks on the food supply chain but are not a legal requirement. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how proactive and reactive food defence practices can help prevent or mitigate malicious attacks on the food chain and also food fraud, food crime and food safety. The authors look at how food defence differs from food safety and how it contributes to food supply chain integrity.Design/methodology/approachFood defence has been the focus of two different EU FP7 security projects, EDEN and SNIFFER. Food industry stakeholders participated in workshops and demonstrations on food defence and relevant technology was tested in different food production scenarios.FindingsFood industry end-users reported a lack of knowledge regarding food defence practices. They wished for further guidelines and training on risk assessment as well as access to validated test methods. Novel detection tools and methods showed promise with authentication, identification, measurement, assessment and control at multiple levels of the food supply chain prior to distribution and retail.Practical implicationsThe prevention of a contamination incident, prior to retail, costs less than dealing with a large foodborne disease outbreak. Food defence should therefore be integral to food supply chain integrity and not just an afterthought in the wake of an incident.Originality/valueIt is argued that food defence practices have a vital role to play across the board in unintentional and intentional food contamination incidents. The application of these methods can help ensure food supply chain integrity.

In today’s globalized world the number of risks in supply chains are increasing and the threats are becoming more complex. All the risks and threats can have a severely negative impact on markets. Some of these threats are terrorism, piracy and theft. Within the food industry, Food Terrorism has gained relevance due to the extreme consequences it may have on both public health and the market. Food Terrorism refers to the intentional contamination of food in any link of the supply chain, which covers everything from production to consumption. The Food Defense refers to the analysis, control and improvement of prevention mechanisms of those attacks; that is, the Food Defense involves a Risks Management. In general terms, this paper focuses on a proposal formulation based on a risk analysis that allows establishing a management system for preventing intentional food contamination and the improvement of the security of the supply chain. Given the recent events in Paris, on November 13, 2015, consideration has also been given to the present situation and the importance of the issue of preventing terrorism.This initial study covers only the theoretical methodological proposal and focusses only on the companies of the alimentary sector of Guanajuato State in Mexico. However, it may extend into a research plan security of food supply chain.