Several of the government?s top agencies announced a new collaboration in July to protect the nation?s food supply from terrorism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have locked arms to prevent bioterror.

?This partnership brings together all of the organizations that have the best knowledge and abilities in safeguarding the food we eat, starting from the farm all the way to our kitchen tables,? said FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford. Committee members will make at least four pilot visits to various sites—which may include retail or agricultural locations?to identify vulnerabilities. In the next year, they plan to visit with representatives of all sectors of the food distribution chain.

On July 12, a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences was criticized for highlighting the ease with which terrorists could poison the nation?s milk supply. Government officials said the report provided a roadmap for terrorists. On July 21, several packages of meat at the Fort Bliss (Texas) Army commissary were found to contain razor blades and pieces of glass.

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXVI/number 9/p. 16