Front-Line Employee's Role in Food Defense

How Does Food Defense Apply to You?

This module provides information about food defense awareness in order to help food employees understand their role in their company’s food defense program. FDA published the Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration Final Rule (IA rule) in May 2016, requiring covered facilities to take preventive measures for food defense and document these measures in a food defense plan. One of the key components of implementing an effective food defense plan is the proper implementation of mitigation strategies to lessen the chance of a successful attack on the food supply. Front-line employees have a significant role in ensuring these mitigation strategies are consistently and properly implemented, and food defense awareness is a primary step towards fulfilling this responsibility. To access the full IA rule, click here. You may be taking this training because you are responsible for implementing a mitigation strategy as part of your job, and the IA rule requires you to have food defense awareness training, or you may be taking this training because your employer has voluntarily taken a proactive approach to food defense. Regardless of the reason you are taking this training, food defense awareness relies heavily on the attentiveness of the front-line employee. You play an important role in food defense!

Farm-to-Fork Concept

Food defense aims to protect the food supply from intentional adulteration from farm-to-fork. Individuals attempting to adulterate the food supply in order to cause harm to the public may have access to the food at multiple points in the food life cycle, such as during growing, harvesting, manufacturing, processing, packing, holding, transportation, and distribution. Because the food life cycle involves several stages in which the food may be accessible and therefore potentially susceptible to intentional adulteration, food defense should consider all stages of the food life cycle from farm-to-fork. The requirements of the IA rule are focused on the most vulnerable parts of the farm to fork continuum, but awareness and vigilance at all stages can be beneficial in protecting our food supply from intentional adulteration.

The front-line employees at each stage of the food life cycle are the first line of defense against intentional adulteration at that stage. Front-line employees may include those at the farm, processing facility, distribution facility, retail facility, and transportation personnel.