USDA, FDA Issue Food-Security Guides

Foodservice urged to prepare for possible food tampering

By Scott Hume, Executive Managing Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 4/1/2004

Federal agencies are placing emphasis on biosecurity as part of their general oversight of farm-to-consumer food safety. In line with that focus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has issued new security checklists specifically for school foodservice operations, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) has issued guidance tailored to retail food stores and foodservice operations.

The FNS "Biosecurity Checklist for School Foodservice Programs" is intended to raise awareness of food biosecurity while helping schools create a biosecurity management plan for preventing tampering and for taking appropriate actions if an incident occurs. While directed to school foodservice directors, the FNS recommendations are applicable to commercial foodservice operations as well.

The first and most important suggestion is that each school foodservice department establish a biosecurity management team. Biosecurity responsibilities can be shouldered by members of a food-safety team that includes both internal (foodservice director, principal, school security personnel and others) and external (possibly a local health-department representative) members.

The FNS program provides checklists that it recommends each school's biosecurity team use jointly to evaluate potential problems and responses. These lists can be accessed at http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov/Safety/biosecurity.pdf.

Preparedness Training
CFSAN's guidance for retailers and foodservice operators covers similar ground, emphasizing preparedness, vigilance and close supervision of both premises and personnel. The agency's recommendations include:

• Conducting an initial assessment (which should be kept confidential) of food-security procedures.
• Preparing a crisis-management strategy for responding to tampering incidents.
• Informing staff about whom in unit management should be alerted about potential security problems.
• Making food-security measures as well as food-safety principles part of basic training for all employees.

CFSAN reminds foodservice operators that food-security measures apply to suppliers as well as to customers and staff. Operators should monitor the security of all delivery vehicles and inspect incoming food for signs of tampering.
The "Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance" can be accessed at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secgui11.html.