11. Product defence
Identifying vulnerabilities downstream
How to protect your business from vulnerable threats in the downstream supply-chain
Relevant Food Safety Standards
This article has been written to comply with GFSI recognised schemes, including BRCGS Food Safety, BRCGS Packaging, BRCGS Agents and Brokers, BRCGS Storage and Distribution, FSSC 22000, IFS Food and SQF Food Safety.
The requirements
Scope
The assessment must consider threats and vulnerabilities downstream in the supply-chain, due to fraud, sabotage, and terrorism.
Protection measures
The assessment must consider the security measures that the contractor must have in place, and these must be specified in contracts.
Horizon scanning
Horizon scanning must be used to identify any future potential threats and vulnerabilities downstream. Where a new or increased threat is identified, this must be fed into the assessment.
Downstream scope of custody
The scope of custody for the downstream piece of the assessment must consider fraud, sabotage and terrorism, where your business is accountable for contractors.
The downstream piece is one which is relatively ‘hidden’ within the standard. But it’s there and segregating it this way helps to provide clarity.
Downstream scope
The scope of the downstream assessment looks at all the business activities that employ contractors to carry out on your behalf. This can be manufacturing of product or storing and distributing.
The downstream aspect isn’t widely understood and currently sits within the supplier management section of the standard. The only food-related standard which defines it clearly, is the agents and brokers standard – as it’s such a fundamental part of their business model. However, contractors are used by businesses which work to the food safety, packaging, and storage and distribution standard. This means management of product defence through contractors is critical for product defence of all standards.
Threats and vulnerabilities
Contractors pose a vulnerability to your business and therefore, it’s your responsibility to ensure that they have a robust product defence plan in place.
Team
The members of the team which are essential for identifying vulnerable threats downstream are the logistics and contract management roles, as they have the necessary knowledge and experience.
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