The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupted the food supply. This article seeks to explain the transcendent lessons of this national emergency, with the hope that being aware of them will help national decision-makers better prepare for next time. Our food systems, like the larger supply chain, will be challenged in the future with new kinds of disruptions, making it essential that mistakes are not repeated and that proactive, correct solutions are discovered and preparations made now.

Food safety incidents like cyberattacks are increasing, which require the use of metrics to help prevent and overcome these challenges facing food safety professionals. This is the last in a three-part series looking at enterprise risk management in food safety.

Food safety and food defense are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other, ultimately meaning that if one is compromised, so too is the other.

How strong is your food defense plan? The protection of your employees, your brand, and your bottom line is at stake.