MSU experts say food defense starts on farms
By Keri Lewis
MSU Ag Communications
MISSISSIPPI STATE – An educational program designed to increase food security has put several Mississippi catfish producers and processors on the fast track to meeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s requirements for food defense plans.
J. Byron Williams, a Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station researcher and Extension Service muscle foods processing specialist in MSU’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion, said food defense begins at the farm.
“We’re pushing for food to be at an even higher level of safety and security. On the farm and in processing facilities, producers and processors need to be aware of potential threats to the safety of the food source they are providing,” Williams said. “Hazardous contamination introduced through oversight, malicious intent or by accident are some of the focal points of food defense plans.
“I want those in the industry to continue to produce, package and transport foods properly and enhance food safety even further. This will further enhance consumer confidence in our food supply.”
The USDA expects 90 percent of all meat, poultry and catfish plants to have food defense plans functioning by 2014, Williams said. To support compliance by Mississippi catfish producers and processors, Williams and his colleagues evaluated catfish farms and processing facilities to determine areas of risk. Then they developed a workshop about food defense fundamentals.
“Producers, processors and even retailers can take steps to secure their facilities against threats to the food supply,” Williams said.
A good plan starts with a survey of basic issues, including surveillance, locks, inventory, chemicals, ingredients, visitors and personnel.
“Who is in your facility and on your farm? Have you conducted background checks on your employees? Do you control traffic flow? Are your chemicals secure? Are ingredients monitored for proper use and security? These are some of the questions we asked,” he said. “Those who threaten our food supply, whether it’s a disgruntled employee or a terrorist, recognize and take advantage of easy targets.”
Solon Scott, president of America’s Catch, a vertically integrated catfish processor in Itta Bena, said he participated in Williams’ research to get information about new USDA requirements.
“We already had a strict food defense plan in place, but we want to stay informed about possible changes,” he said. “We want people to know Mississippi catfish is raised and processed properly. The best way to do that is to make sure we don’t have an incident in the industry.
“We need to have programs set up to farm and process catfish in accordance with the highest safety and handling standards, especially as compared to imported catfish,” Scott said.
“I think consumers need to look at what they’re eating, where it’s made, and realize that some countries don’t have the same standards of processing products that we have in the United States,” he said.
Williams said he would like to expand the scope of the program to include more advanced topics in the catfish industry and to serve producers and processors in other food industries.
“Our food supply is safer than it has ever been, but producers and processors need to be aware of certain issues that may be overlooked. Don’t take security for granted,” he said.
“Food Defense and Biosecurity: Elements and Guidelines for a Defense Plan” is a publication designed to aid producers/processors in creating or improving their food defense program.
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Released: Sept. 22, 2011
Contact: Dr. J. Byron Williams, (662) 325-3200
