FDA, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Agriculture, launched its food defense awareness training kit for first line food industry employees. The training targets these individuals because they play an important role in helping to keep our nation’s food supply safe from the farm to the table.

Food industry management will use the FIRST tool kit as part of ongoing employee food defense training programs. The tool kit focuses on five key points that industry and businesses can use to educate first line workers about the risks of food contamination. Each of the letters in the FIRST acronym describes an action that a first line employee can take to mitigate risks of contamination. They are:

• F-Follow company food defense plan and procedures
• I-Inspect your work area and surrounding areas
• R-Recognize anything out of the ordinary
• S-Secure all ingredients, supplies and finished product
• T-Tell management if you notice anything unusual or suspicious.

Single copies of the kit are available in English and Spanish. The kit is free to employees and includes one DVD, a training poster and on-screen instructions. Copies can be obtained by ordering online from the Food Defense & Terrorism Web site, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/fooddefense. A Web-ready version of the kit will also be available.