“Do not make it too easy for attackers, put up a barrier”

N&S Quality is both a training institute and a consultancy. The company offers complete solutions in the fields of quality control and food safety. The food industry is often startled by infections, due to germs or harmful substances, not least those caused by human error. By exposing painful areas within organisations, companies can arm themselves against such impending doom. Attackers can easily get a grip on food safety at unguarded moments, and severely disrupt it. The consequences would then be incalculable. Just one dead cow has to end up in the water supply…” Van Duijnhoven warns.

“Companies must remain vigilant. That starts by acknowledging that terrorism is a real danger. But sometimes the problems are of a different order. For example, a Coop supermarket was once blackmailed by an unsavoury person who caused a dairy infection. That person threatened further escalation if the supermarket did not pay him a significant sum. Another example, in which resentment played a large part, was the scandal with needles in aeroplane meals from catering company Gate Gourmet in Amsterdam. Dissatisfaction in the workplace most likely led to sabotage by an angry employee. Such dangers can never be completely ruled out. But we must always strive to limit such ‘company risks’ to a minimum.”

In order to guarantee food safety within the food industry, guidelines have been drawn up by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). The norms established therein function as an internationally recognised mark of quality. “An important given with this is that one person within the company has to bear responsibility for safety within the organisation. That person needs to report all findings to the management team. It is also important to establish where the biggest vulnerabilities are within the company regarding terrorism, blackmail and employee resentment.”

Does the company take precautionary measures on the outside of the building? Are the entrances to various segments within the companies, such as loading docks, supervised? Is there an entry system or are there outside surveillance cameras? And internally: are background checks being done on employees and visitors? Is it monitored which employees manage the air ducts, cooling systems and hazardous substances? All of these are questions that should generate awareness, and expose painful points within the management.