Food Defense

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The Food and Agriculture special interest group for the Information Technology-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC) has formed the new Food and Agriculture-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Food and Ag-ISAC) to enable information-sharing between the agrifood and security sectors about protecting U.S. agriculture and food from cyber threats.

Livsmedelsverket, the Swedish Food Agency, recently published a handbook to help the producers of drinking water develop a plan for ensuring the safety of their product during times of crisis and war.

With security threats against the sector increasing and cyber threats against the global supply system also on the rise, it is imperative that a food and agriculture ISAC be formed. It does not have to be fully capable at the start; just a few large companies that agree to pool and analyze threat information can plant the initial seed. If successful awareness and deterrence can be demonstrated, then other companies will join. At full capability, the ISAC can serve as a watch and warning center for the sector, providing timely threat analysis for members at all levels. In this article, the authors look at what it takes to create and run a successful ISAC.

Approximately 46 percent of honey imported to the EU is adulterated, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These findings are the result of an EU-coordinated action, titled, “From the Hives.”

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released its Food Fraud Annual Report for 2021–2022, which summarizes the activities CFIA conducted throughout the year to prevent, detect, and deter food fraud.

AnzenSage, a cybersecurity consulting firm, has launch with the aim of providing resilience solutions to the food industry. 

A transdisciplinary team of researchers, educators, and extension experts led by Michigan State University (MSU) has received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create safer, more stable food systems.

Prevention is a key focus in alleviating food fraud. In the food supply chain specifically, the lack of understanding and awareness regarding food fraud facilitators provides numerous opportunities for fraudsters to engage in criminal behavior. This article introduces the problem of food document fraud and the role documents play in facilitating food fraud events. Topics covered include crime prevention theory, food fraud prevention, food fraud facilitators, types and classifications of documents targeted in fraud, a food document fraud survey, and how food document fraud fits into a food fraud vulnerability assessment.

An increasingly critical element of food safety and defense planning is assurance of data integrity—the ability to keep data unchanged as it is communicated or stored. Information that is used for decision-making or reporting cannot be compromised, altered, or manipulated by unauthorized users. Threat information is best shared through the establishment and voluntary participation of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC). Food and agriculture is the only sector that lacks an ISAC. With security threats against the sector increasing and cyber threats against the global supply system also on the rise, it is imperative that a food and agriculture ISAC be formed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new video series, titled, Into the Dataverse, which focuses on how the agency is modernizing its use of data, part of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint. The first video provides an overview of 21 Forward, a data analytics tool that monitors the food supply chain.