Announcing Food Security Training Program Opportunities

Protecting the Food Supply from Intentional Adulteration:
An Introductory Training Session to Raise Awareness

To help reduce the risk of an attack on the food supply, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have joined forces to provide a food security awareness training program.

The training targets individuals who play an important role in defending our nation's food from attack: federal, state, local, and tribal food-industry regulators, school food authorities, and nutrition assistance program operators and administrators. Representatives from the food industry and individuals essential in responding to a food emergency due to an intentional attack-such as law enforcement, public health, and homeland security officials-are also encouraged to participate.

The program, which was developed jointly by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, Food and Nutrition Service, and Agricultural Marketing Service and HHS' Food and Drug Administration, is available to any interested individuals free of charge in three formats: through a Food and Drug Administration website; at face-to-face training courses offered across the country; and on a CD-ROM for limited distribution.

Contact Hour Certificates will be available to any participant, regardless of the course format. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available through the FDA website for FDA, State, Local and Tribal regulators who successfully complete the course. The details of the three formats are discussed below.

On-Line Course

The on-line course Food Security Training is being hosted by FDA and is available worldwide free of charge to anyone interested in learning more about food security. Please contact Sebastian Cianci at (301) 436-2291 or for more information.

Face-to-Face Training

Face-to-face food security awareness training is being offered across the country. This session will provide general information about the roles of various agencies in protecting the food supply from intentional contamination, vulnerability awareness, and cooperation of government personnel and other involved parties at the federal, state and local level. The course lasts approximately six hours (8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and is free of charge. Space will be limited and registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact Anne Roberts via email () or telephone (202-488-6609) for further details regarding the face-to-face training. The currently scheduled cities and dates are as follows (registration deadline in parentheses):

• Atlanta, GA -- March 22^nd, 2005 (March 11^th, 2005)
• Seattle, WA -- April 19^th, 2005 (April 8^th, 2005)
• Alameda, CA -- April 21^st, 2005 (April 8^th, 2005)
• Philadelphia, PA -- May 17^th, 2005 (May 6^th, 2005)
• Boston, MA -- May 19^th, 2005 (May 6^th, 2005)
• Boulder, CO -- June 7^th, 2005 (May 27^th, 2005)
• Kansas City, MO -- June 9^th, 2005 (May 27^th, 2005)
• Chicago, IL -- July 12^th, 2005 (July 1^st 2005)
• Minneapolis, MN -- July 14^th, 2005 (July 1^st, 2005)
• Los Angeles, CA -- August 4^th, 2005 (July 22^nd, 2005)
• Miami, FL -- September 13^th (September 2^nd, 2005)
• Washington, DC -- September 20^th, 2005 (September 9^th, 2005)

CD-ROM Course

A CD-ROM version of the course will also be available for limited distribution. Individuals with internet access are encouraged to take the course on-line. CD-ROMs will be distributed to FSIS district and regional offices.

Further Information

For further details, updates, and registration information on these training opportunities, please visit one of the agencies' websites:

• USDA
  • FSIS Meetings & Events - Protecting the Food Supply from Intentional Adulteration: An Introductory Training Session to Raise Awareness
• FDA
  • ORA - Food Security Training.

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Agency-Specific Food Security Training

In conjunction with the Food Security Awareness Training Program, some of the individual agencies are offering food security training tailored to their workforce.

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

FSIS is providing training, both at the face-to-face training and on the CD-ROM, on FSIS' Homeland Security Threat Condition Response Directives (Series 5420), which establish how threat conditions will be communicated throughout FSIS and provide instructions for program areas on how to respond. The intended audience for this session is district and regional FSIS personnel. Others are welcome to participate if interested. The face-to-face training on FSIS' directives will be offered immediately following the Food Security Awareness training. The CD-ROM will include both the food security awareness training and the FSIS directives training. Those CDs will be distributed to FSIS district and regional offices.

Food and Nutrition Services (FNS)

FNS will present an agency-specific module, to complement the basic food security awareness training entitled The Relevance of Food Biosecurity to Food and Nutrition Service Programs. This FNS training will be presented immediately following the awareness training and will focus on the unique responsibilities in reducing the risk of intentional contamination within the USDA nutrition assistance programs. The intended audience for this session is those who work in or with nutrition assistance programs. Others are welcome to participate if interested.

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

AMS is also developing an agency-specific module to be presented following the food security awareness training at some of the locations.