Food Defense Risk Assessment

Food defense examines intentional adulteration and the opportunities an attacker could exploit. It complements food safety work on accidental contamination, but the assessment asks different questions about access, vulnerable activities and potential consequences.

Map how materials enter, move through and leave the operation. Review access to exposed product, bulk handling and other activities where deliberate intervention could affect the food. Consider visitors, contractors, deliveries and authorized staff access rather than relying only on the perimeter fence.

Prioritize vulnerabilities and choose practical mitigation measures with named owners. Test whether access controls, supervision and escalation procedures work during real operations. Keep sensitive assessment details restricted to people who need them, while giving staff clear instructions for reporting concerns.

Review the assessment after changes to facilities, processes or access arrangements. FDA vulnerability assessment resources provide a useful reference, but the applicability and exemptions of U.S. intentional-adulteration requirements must be checked for the particular operation. A generic security checklist does not establish compliance.

FDA food defense vulnerability assessment resources