Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

THE ROLE OF FOOD SAFETY IN FOOD SECURITY

JUSTIN J. KASTNER, ABBEY L. NUTSCH, AND CURTIS L. KASTNER

Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

1 INTRODUCTION

Today's agricultural security and food safety and security discussions are, admittedly, burdened by confusion of terminology. Therefore, this article necessarily begins by addressing the terms “security” and “defense” in the context of the agricultural and food industry. Some definitions that have been used by food regulators include the following:

• Food security. Activities associated with ensuring the adequacy of the food supply.
• Food defense. Activities associated with protecting food from intentional contamination.

The term “food security” has been contested in recent years. In the post-9/11 era, new understandings of security have influenced the interpretation of both “homeland security” and “food security” [1,2]. Indeed, the adoption, by such regulatory agencies as the US Food and Drug Administration, of the term “food defense” stems from confusion surrounding the term “food security” [3].

While some contend that “food security” ought to be strictly the domain of international-aid and economic-development policy communities, others have used the term “food security” to encompass international food defense issues as well as unintentional incidents that impact the adequacy of the food supply. Rather than letting semantics unduly complicate more important issues, leaders should support—or, at least, tolerate—the use of ...