Food Safety and Defense

Preventing Contamination is the First Line of Defense

Unintended foodborne diseases cause thousands of deaths and millions of illnesses in the United States each year. Threats from intentional contamination have also resulted in illness and deaths and may also cause severe economic impacts, damage product brand integrity, and lead to major product recalls.

By using a risk-based approach to infrastructure protection, SAIC helps both the public and private sectors direct limited resources towards activities most frequently associated with product contamination. As part of these activities, SAIC is helping the federal government develop and implement a risk-based approach to food safety inspection. The approach will provide methods to assist public health agencies in attributing foodborne illnesses to specific food products. Better attribution helps improve foodborne disease prevention and response capabilities.

Food Safety and Defense Solutions

SAIC also develops cost-effective solutions tailored to food defense needs aimed at protecting food products and ingredients from deliberate contamination. We provide technical support as follows:

• Conduct facility and supply chain assessments
• Develop multiple-barrier food defense plans that address:
  • Physical security
  • Personnel security
  • Operational security
• Train staff and conduct drills and exercises
• Support incident response actions
• Design and conduct security audits of suppliers
• Support responses and challenges to audits required by customers
• Respond to hoax threats

Why SAIC?

For more than 30 years, SAIC has provided science-based solutions to American industries, including rapid response and comprehensive food safety and food defense services. SAIC's risk management solutions are based on sound science and proven security principles. SAIC has helped government agencies and private sector firms protect the food supply chain by:

• Conducting vulnerability assessments of food products, facilities, and supply chains
• Identifying food products and processing practices that present the largest contribution to foodborne disease
• Developing risk management techniques
• Creating food safety and food defense guidance documents
• Training staff to raise awareness of food safety and defense issues
• Conducting food defense emergency response exercises