FPSC releases fact sheet on food defence for the fresh produce industry
The FPSC today released a new fact sheet on food defence for the fresh produce industries of Australia and New Zealand.
The FPSC’s fact sheet on food defence provides the fresh produce industry with practical advice and guidance. It aims to help growers, packers, and processors in Australia and New Zealand determine an appropriate and relevant approach to food defence, tailored to their business.
Food defence is about protecting the food supply from malicious attack, especially where this could lead to unsafe products that cause public harm.
“This fact sheet is the latest in a series produced by the FPSC designed to enhance the safety of our fresh produce,” said new FPSC Chair Dr. Andreas Klieber.
“We encourage all businesses in the supply chain to use the fact sheet’s tips and guidance to check their processes and systems for food defence,” he said.
Malicious (intentional) contamination is a particular concern for industry and governments because such incidents can compromise the safety of food and place public health at risk. Food defence is relevant for food businesses at all stages of the supply chain – including growing, packing, and processing of fresh produce.
The fact sheet, written by Dr. Kim-Yen Phan-Thien of the Sydney Institute of Agriculture, University of Sydney, is the latest in a series of fact sheets on food safety in the fresh produce industry. This fact sheet follows the release in August of the FPSC’s fact sheet on Food Safety Culture.
Read the FPSC’s fact sheet on food defence for the fresh produce industry here.