USDA Plans Food Defense Exercises
News Date January 20, 2006
USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) this week announced additional efforts in collaboration with states and private industry to protect the nation's food supply from terrorist threats. The agency will conduct five critical food defense exercises this year.
The first exercise took place in Alameda, California, on Jan. 18 and 19. These exercises are designed to practice reporting a non-routine incident while coordinating with all levels of government, non-governmental agencies and the private sector in an incident command system structure. These exercises will challenge all participants to collaborate more closely and become better prepared to keep the food supply safe. Additionally, FSIS will test its ability to coordinate with organizations outside of USDA, such as the local and state departments of health and agriculture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security(DHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the affected industries.
Additional food defense exercises will be conducted in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 22 to 23; Chicago, Illinois, May 17 to 18; Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 19 to 20; and Albany, New York, September 20 to 21. FSIS will eventually conduct similar exercises in all 15 FSIS regional district offices. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)