Development and implementation of Food Defense Table-Top Workshop Exposing and Mi

<p>Abstract: MDARD/MSU FD Proposal PAR-12-116 v5 1Development and Implementation of Food Defense Tabletop Workshop Exposing and Mitigating the Vulnerability of Economically Motivated Adulteration and Food Fraud Incidents (PAR-12-116)The proposal is for the development of tabletop exercises similar in format to build awareness on the food defense and terrorist vulnerability of Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA) and food fraud incidents. The tabletop exercise will bring together multiple Local, State, and Federal food related agencies with industry and academics and include the development of a Food Related Emergency Exercise Boxed set (FREE-B). The proposed project will develop and pilot a tabletop exercise focused on food and feed inspectors and public and private partners involved in food safety and food defense. This exercise will present and demonstrate common EMA and food fraud vulnerabilities that are also potential vulnerabilities for food defense attacks. The outcome will be an exercise package consistent with FREE-B and compliant with the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program that can be easily modified and adapted for other jurisdictions around the country. In the longer term, it will increase the number of investigations and seizures of fraudulent food. Improved food supply chain transparency will further protect the public's health from food fraud and other vulnerabilities such as food defense attacks.
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Deliverables: Tabletop Exercise. MSU researchers will develop and conduct the HSEEP compliant exercise with the support of MDARD. The invited stakeholders will include Local, State, and Federal agencies as well as academics and members of industry. FREE-B Exercise. Once the live tabletop exercise is completed, the researchers will work with the FDA Food Defense team to develop and submit the content.
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Measurable: The measures of effectiveness for the project are straightforward. The first measure is the number of attendees as the pilot tabletop exercise. Also, a pre- and post- tabletop awareness survey will be conducted. This will measure food safety inspectors' awareness of EMA and food fraud and how it potentially relates to food safety and food defense.</p>