The FDA Has Software To Create Your Company's Food Defense Plan
By Laurel Maloy, contributing writer, Food Online
The federal agency is pulling out the stops on food safety and providing user-friendly, free software in the fight against food contamination and adulteration
The FDA has developed a free software program as a means to bolster food facility owners’ and operators’ ability to prevent intentional adulteration of the food being processed in plants. Not only can you easily download the Food Defense Plan Builder (FDPB), the FDA has also developed a two- part video tutorial.
It is important to note that the FDA does not have access to any of the content the software generates, nor can the agency track or monitor its use. The FDPB is downloaded by each individual, only to his or her own laptop, tablet, or PC. It will be the user’s responsibility to ensure any sensitive information is saved to a secure location and protected by the company’s firewalls or an adequate security program.
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Part I of the tutorial provides an overview of the software and its primary functions. A male voice and animated screen shots walk you through the available program tabs; if you are at all familiar with Microsoft Word, you will have no problem navigating this simple-to-use interface. The 15-minute video also provides detailed instruction on how to use the first three sections of the FDPB. It will first assist the user in filling out the Company Information. Then, the user will be introduced to the Broad Mitigation Strategies tab and how to assess the most-likely vulnerabilities in operations at the Vulnerability Assessment tab.
Broad Mitigation Strategies are the foundational components for developing an all-inclusive Food Defense Plan (FDP). They are similar to Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) and the prerequisite programs for food safety. A comprehensive list of questions is presented, with the opportunity to specify whether or not it is applicable, is already in place, or if there is an existing gap in the strategy. Questions, headers, and sub-headers can be easily edited with a right click of the mouse in order to customize the program to fit a particular facility. The Vulnerability Assessment tab enables the user to create a simplified assessment of the plant’s potential vulnerabilities. It can be compared to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) management system.
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The program does not require completion all at one sitting. The plan can be saved and returned to at multiple times for completion. In fact, different people — with permission — can access the plan, enabling those most knowledgeable about specific areas to provide the necessary and correct information. The FDPB software is also compatible with the Carver + (plus) Shock software tool. Scores can be imported from Carver + into the FDPB. The Carver + Shock software is an enhanced vulnerability assessment tool and is also available for free.
The second training video is only nine minutes in length and covers the remaining aspects of the FDPB. Focused Mitigation Strategies, those applied at a specific process step, and Action Plans, tools aiding the user in the management, tracking, and prioritization of those steps, are all covered. The Emergency Contacts tab contains all of the information necessary to contact local and state law enforcement agencies, the FDA, and the FBI. It also has space for listing customers, suppliers, and whoever else is considered critical during an intentional or unintentional adulteration incident; it will be included in the final FDP. The Action Step tab is automatically populated from both the Broad Mitigation Strategies and Focused Mitigation Strategies tabs, as it’s completed. The user is then able to assign a priority, a responsible person or position, and input the times and dates for startup and completion. There is also a comments section.
The Food Defense Plan tab is a compilation of all the information that’s been entered. The user can save it as a PDF, an Excel document, or a Word Document and can view, format, print, or export the entire report. A specific part of the report can be printed or exported individually, as needed. Supporting documents are even easily uploaded, to include associated links, and can be included in the final FDP.
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This may be the most priceless, invaluable, albeit free, tool for the development of a plan to prevent food contamination. Though designed by the FDA as a means to identify potential intentional adulteration opportunities, the application is designed to develop a comprehensive plan for food safety. Each section offers suggestions for action. Simple check boxes enable the user to add or delete appropriate actions, while the edit functions allow the software to be optimized to fit any food processing plant. This software doesn’t just say “user-friendly,” it definitely is.