All food manufacturers know that having a strong Food Defense Program is vital to producing safe food. But with so much focus on aspects of the plan like mitigation strategies and corrective actions, there is one key to a robust food defense plan you may be overlooking. By conducting a vulnerability assessment, manufacturers can better identify potential or actual weaknesses within the manufacturing process, improving the rest of the food defense plan.
1. Choose what to focus on first.
When conducting the assessments, there are many different variables present within food manufacturing, so each manufacturer must decide for themselves what they choose to focus on. This could include everything from chemical and hazardous materials storage to the security that keeps your facility safe.
2. Run through example scenarios with your team
When considering what to focus on in conducting assessments, developing and implementing potential vulnerability scenarios can also be helpful in identifying potential and actual vulnerabilities. For instance, if you believe hazardous materials are secured and accounted for in your facility, develop and run a scenario in which an unauthorized person attempts to access them.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: AIB International
