Food Security

Food Defense is the effort to protect the food supply against intentional contamination due to sabotage, terrorism, counterfeiting, or other illegal, intentionally harmful means.

Potential contaminants include biological, chemical and radiological hazards that are generally not found in foods or their production environment. Food defense differs from food safety, which is the effort to prevent unintentional contamination of food products by agents reasonably likely to occur in the food supply (e.g., E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria).

Currently, food defense plans are voluntary. However, in the near future, they may become mandatory. A food defense plan will help you maintain a safe working environment for your employees, provide a quality product to your customers, and protect your bottom line.

Some of the key steps a facility can take to protect itself:

  1. Employees: Well trained employees are the first line of defense. Train the employees to immediately report any suspicious activity to a designated person.
  2. Screening: Potential employees should be properly screened prior to hiring.
  3. Visitor Control: All visitors to the plant must be registered at the front office and/or escorted through the premises by an employee.
  4. Personal Items: Restricting the type of personal items allowed in non-public areas of the establishment.
  5. Supervision: Providing an appropriate level of supervision to all staff, including cleaning and maintenance staff, contract workers, data entry and computer support staff, and especially, new staff (for example, supervisor on duty, periodic unannounced visits by supervisor, daily visits by supervisor, two staff on duty at same time, monitored video cameras, off-line review of video tapes, one-way and two-way windows, customer feedback to supervisor of unusual or suspicious behavior by staff)
  6. Monitoring: Conducting routine security checks of the premises, including utilities and critical computer data systems (at a frequency appropriate to the operation) for signs of tampering or malicious, criminal, or terrorist actions or areas that may be vulnerable to such actions.
  7. Facility: Protecting non-public perimeter access with fencing or other deterrent, when appropriate. Also, ensuring adequate secure storage for chemicals when not in use.
  8. Receiving and Shipping: Using only known and appropriately licensed or permitted (where applicable) sources for all incoming products. Similarly, ensuring the security of outbound vehicles.
  9. Reporting: Alerting appropriate law enforcement and public health authorities about evidence of tampering, “counterfeiting,” or other malicious, criminal, or terrorist action.

Tip: Maximize California walnuts fresh taste and quality by keeping them in your refrigerator or freezer.

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