Vulnerability Assessments for Food Defense

Has anyone conducted vulnerability assessments on their facility using any of the following:

• Operational Risk Management (ORM)
• Threat Evaluation Assessment and Management (TEAM)
• CARVER + Shock
• C-TPAT

I found CARVER + Shock on the FDA web site and it is very extensive and I was wondering if all of them are that way or if anyone has found one to be easier to use.

TS

Hello TS -
I used CARVER +Shock for a vulnerability assessment of my facility. It is quite in depth. I found that even if you don't use a template, it is relatively easy to make your own. I don't feel that the results match our vulnerability, but it is what it is. It took me about 6-8 hours to do one entire process from receiving of raw materials to processing to shipping. I believe that is much better than starting from scratch.

PRO: Both the FDA inspector and my AIB auditor were happy that I had used the program and followed through with the results.

CON: Can be a little cumbersome and hard to make significant changes once you get rolling. The help files seem to be lacking in how to actually get started.

Tom

Thanks Tom, it was an AIB auditor that recommended CARVER to us. I started a process and after 4 hours, I started to look at some of the others.

I guess I need to finish what I started and see if it makes sense.

TS

TS -

I started to get a little put off by it at first, too. I actually walked away from it after about 3 hours. Came back to it a week later and it just clicked. I was glad I did it if for no other reason than I was in compliance.
Give it another try... who knows you might have better luck the second time around.

I'd be curious to know how it works for you...and good luck!

Tom

I'd be curious to know how it works for you...and good luck!

Tom

Tom,

I gave it a second chance and finished one. I can't say that I agree with some of the scores but as I was trying to make sense of them I came across a document that broke it down.

See the attached.

TS

Carver_Shock_Explanation.pdf   114.71KB   595 downloads

Hi TS,
We have been CTPAT certified since 2003 and been validated 2x. I think this program is so much easier than Carver Shock, however managing non-CTPAT business partners is a challenge. The USDA has a pretty good checklist, and AIB has a food defense audit.

Hope this helps!
Valerie

Thanks Valerie. We do not fall under USDA so I often forget to look there for resources. We do get audited by AIB but not their Food Defense Audit. The requirements for assessment are covered in the AIB Consolidated Standards which is what we get.

We have also had AIB audit our Food Defense for a customer but they used the customer guidelines for the audit.

I will have to look at the C-TAPT process.

TS

thanks all of you
but if there is any plan for beverage plant
hope to help me