Innovative Security Technologies for the Transport of Milk

Abstract

Since September 11, 2001 (9/11), Americans have become more sensitive to the security of their surroundings, including the security of the national food supply. On February 7, 2003, the U.S. Department of Justice increased the nation's terrorist threat assessment level to orange (high risk). Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration asked the agriculture community to increase its security precautions. This meant heightening physical security on farms, limiting farm contacts to essential individuals needed to continue operations, increasing security for tanker trucks that ship milk from one plant to another, and adding other security precautions. Better security policies, procedures, and technologies are being sought and continue to be identified and implemented. This paper describes innovative transportation security technologies that have either been implemented or identified to enhance the domestic transport of milk from the farm to the consumer. Although potential vulnerabilities exist throughout the milk supply chain (e.g., at the farm, the processing facility, and distribution center), the transport of milk involves increased exposure and the risk of intentional tampering and contamination. The focus of this paper is on the transport element of the milk supply chain, particularly on the link from the farm to the processing facility, and on the emerging technological countermeasures being used to prevent and mitigate incidents that could lead to the contamination of milk. The innovative transport technologies examined in this paper include electronic seals, electronic manifests, management and tracking systems, and automatic hatchways. These innovative technologies are summarized and discussed in terms of their potential synergistic effects, their potential for addressing vulnerabilities, and the practical obstacles to their implementation.