Source:  Ann Bagel Storck, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 12/28/09

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration have created an online tool to help farmers and producers assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in their production processes.

The risk assessment tool, called Agriculture CARVER + Shock, is designed to help the food industry implement food production security methods at the farm level.

Producers are asked a series of questions about each component of their production process, and based on the responses, Ag Carver provides scores for those components and recommends specific risk mitigation measures. These might include upgrades or enhancements to physical security, process operations, or a change in personnel practices. Information entered by the program user is not recorded by either FDA or APHIS.

The risk assessment tool derives its name from seven designated attributes for evaluation:

• Criticality: What impact would an intentional attack have on public health or to the economy?
• Accessibility: How easily can a terrorist get to this target?
• Recuperability: How well could a system recover from an attack?
• Vulnerability: How easily could an attack be accomplished?
• Effect: What would be the direct loss from an attack, as measured by loss in production?
• Recognizability: How easily could a terrorist identify a target?
• Shock: What would be the psychological impact of an attack?

To download the free software, click here. 

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.