Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Brenda Halbrook, Food and Nutrition Service/Food Safety Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 512, Alexandria, VA 22302 and Margaret Venuto, MA, MPH, Food Safety Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 512, Alexandria, VA 22302, 703.305.2894, Margaret.Venuto@fns.usda.gov.

The U.S. food and agriculture sector was identified in the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 as a critical infrastruture which needs to be protected against terrorist attacks. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the USDA nutrition assistance programs and therefore provides food assistance on a grand scale to vulnerable populations. FNS promotes food defense awareness within these programs and provides suggestions for preventive measures and various resources for developing food defense and emergency preparedness plans. A representative from the FNS Food Safety Unit will give an overview of food defense as it relates to FNS programs and specifically to central kitchens, food banks and warehouses.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Improve preparedness through an increased knowledge and awareness of food defense in various aspects of the USDA nutrition assistance programs.
• Utilize available tools and resources in the development of food defense plans thereby reducing the risk of intentional contamination in the food supply.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No