a danger.

What is Food Defense? 

Food defense is putting measures in place that reduce the chances of someone intentionally poisoning the food supply in order to kill or hurt people, disrupt our economy, or ruin your business. Unfortunately, the things you do to keep food safe are not always enough to protect foods from intentional poisoning. This brochure will help you find out what food defense measures you need to put in place to protect your customers and business. 

Who Might Poison a Food Product? 

As a business owner, you must be alert to a potential attack against your operation. Anyone is capable of hurting or disrupting it. An attack can originate from within or outside your warehouse and distribution center. An attacker could even pose as one of the following: 

Customer or potential customer Truck driver making deliveries Salesperson visiting your business

Why Develop a Food Defense Plan? 

A Food Defense Plan:

will help you identify steps to keep food in your facility safe and secure,will help you respond to and recover from an 

 emergency, and 

will help you provide a safe product to your customers, maintain a secure working environment for your employees, and protect your business. 

In today’s environment, many customers want their suppliers to have a Food Defense Plan. To assist owners and operators of warehouse or distribution facilities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has created this brochure to help you develop a practical Food Defense Plan for your business. 

Step 1 – Conduct a Self-Assessment 

Take some time to review the food defense measures below. Check (

√) those that you currently have in place in 

your operation. 

Food 

in

The building has wThe building has an regularly. Visitors and customidentification. Visitors, guests, an(e.g., contractors, srestricted to non-pran employee. Storage areas for dsuch as pesticides, materials are restricYou keep track of wproducts in case of You have a product 

Contractor doing repairs or performing services 

Keep in mind that a current or 

former employee who has a 

grudge against you or your 

business also could pose 

Food defense measures for 

outside your building 

There is an outside surveillance system. 

Food 

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loaded or unloadedAn employee or younloaded. Advance notificatioor fax) is required f

gov/Food_Defense_&_ 

Emergency_Response/ 

Security_Guidelines/ 

index.asp 

Defense_&_Emergency_Response/ 

Security_Guidelines/index.asp 

 Utility representative 

Emergency exits have self-locking doors and/or alarms. Trailers are locked 

You check product

You can find this resource at: 

http://www.fsis.usda. 

You can find this resource at: 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_ 
Food defense measures to protect your 

business from people who intend to do harm 

You know the background of all of your employees. Employees, visitors, and contractors (including construction workers, cleaning crews, and truck drivers) are identified in some manner at all times while on the premises. You control entry of employees and contractors into the plant during working hours (e.g., coded doors, receptionist on duty, swipe card, etc.). You control entry of employees and contractors into the plant during non-working hours (e.g., key cards or code numbers). 

Step 2 – Develop a Food Defense Plan 

Now that you have conducted the self-assessment and put a check by the measures that your warehouse and distribution center has in place, take a look at the measures where you didn’t put a check. Are there practical improvements you could use to make your building and food safer? If so, you might want to make these improvements. Keep in mind that not all measures are necessary for all warehouse and distribution centers. For example, let’s imagine you are not able to check “Visitors and guests are asked to sign in and provide identification.” Perhaps you don’t need this measure because you currently do not allow visitors or guests beyond a front desk and they are not allowed in any other area of the building. Not checking a box does not necessarily mean there is a serious problem 

with security at your warehouse and distribution center. However, it should cause you to think about whether certain food defense measures are needed. Once you have identified the food defense measures you are currently practicing and those that you will need to add to your warehouse and distribution center, you should write these down. This will become your Food 

Defense Plan. An easy way to develop your Food Defense Plan can be found on the FSIS 

Website (http://www.fsis. 

usda.gov/Food_Defense_&_Emergency_Response/ Security_Guidelines/index.asp). There you will find a helpful resource guide called “Developing a Food Defense Plan for Warehouse and Distribution Centers.” This resource guide offers more detailed information about food defense measures. In Step 2 of the resource guide, you can find a place to write down what you intend to do. 

Step 3 – Implement Your 

Food Defense Plan 

Now that you have developed a Food Defense Plan, put it into action by implementing the food defense measures. Remember to review your plan regularly to make necessary changes or improvements. 

What do I do if there is an emergency or I think 

that a food product has been poisoned? 

In an emergency, your first step should always be to contact local law enforcement – dial 911. Then call one of the following: FSIS 24-hour emergency number 1-866-395-9701 for meat, poultry, or egg products FDA 24-hour emergency number 1-866-300-4374

for all food products not listed above 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 1-800-795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

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