Food is a basic necessity of all living beings on earth. Access to clean, safe and wholesome food is required to achieve complete physical and mental health. In recent days it has been feared that drinking water and food may be deliberately contaminated by terrorist organizations to disrupt social, economic and political stability of a country. With the globalization of food supply, changing food preferences, intensive food production and centralized food processing system have provided ample opportunity for intentional contamination of food at various points in food chain. Hence, it is essential to know the agents of food terrorism, various forms in which they are disseminated in to food, circumstances in which they are used, possible consequences and finally detection, prevention and response to such attacks.

1. FOOD TERRORISM-
THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH
PRESENTED BY:
SHABU SHOUKAT
PhD SCHOLAR
DIVISION OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH & EPIDEMIOLOGY

2. INTRODUCTION

3. FACES OF TERRORISM
• BIOTERRORISM:
Terrorism by intentional release or dissemination of biological agents
(Bacteria, Virus, Fungi, parasite, Bio-toxins); may be in naturally occurring
form or in a human modified form.
(Solodoukhina, 2011)
• AGROTERRORISM:
A subset of bioterrorism, defined as the deliberate introduction of an
animal or plant disease causing agent with the goal of generating fear, causing
economic losses and/or undermining social stability.
(Jim Monke, 2007)
• FOOD TERRORISM:
An act or threat of deliberate contamination of food for human
consumption with biological, chemical and physical agents or radio-nuclear
materials for the purpose of causing injury or death to civilian populations
and/or disrupting social, economic or political stability.
(WHO, 2008)

4. 20 century
 Beginning of World War-Anthrax
used in animal population
 After World War Germany used
Glanders against U.S, Russia &
France
 1930 -C . botilinum spores fed to
prisoners –Japan
 1985 -soft drinks and milk
dispensers' contaminated with
pesticides in Israel
21 century
 1996- Central Scotland E. coli
outbreak due to contaminated
meat from butcher shop
 1999- Israel baby food
contaminated with pesticide
 Sept- Oct -2001 letters laced with
anthrax spores in powder form
sent to U.S higher officials
 2013 -The agencies confirmed the
discovery of a letter addressed to
US President Barack Obama
loaded with Ricin
HISTORY

6. Agents for Food Terrorism
• Fission
material
• Fusion
materials
• Choking, and
• Nerve agents
• Pesticides
• Heavy Metals
• Bacteria
• Virus
• Fungi
• Parasite
• Bio-Toxins
• Metal Pieces
• Wooden Pieces
• Glass
• Stones
Physical Biological
Chemical Nuclear

7. CHEMICAL AGENTS
I. Choking agents: which damage lung such as chlorine
and phosgene,
II. Blood agents; which block the transport or use of
oxygen; such as cyanide,
III. Blister agents, which cause burns and tissue damage
to the skin, inside the lungs and to tissues throughout
the body such as mustard gas, lewisite
IV. Nerve agents: which kill by disabling crucial
enzymes in the nervous system such as tabun, sarin

8. BIOLOGICAL AGENTS
 CDC classified Bio-terror Agents into three
categories (A,B,C) based on:
 Ease of production
 Availability
 Ease of dissemination (stability)
 Lethality
 Infectivity

9. Category-A
 Pose highest risk to the public and national security
because:
 Spread or transmitted easily
 High mortality rates
 Major public health impact
 Cause public panic and social disruption
 Require special action for public health preparedness.
Examples:
• Variola major
• B. anthracis
• Y. pestis
• C. botulinum toxin
• F. tularensis
• Filo viruses: Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Marburg hemorrhagic fever,
• Arena viruses: Lassa (Lassa fever).

10. Category B
Second highest priority because
 Moderately easy to spread
 Result in moderate illness and low death rates
 Require specific enhancements of CDC's laboratory capacity and
disease monitoring
Examples:
 C.burnetti Alphaviruses ; EEE, VEE and WEE
 Brucella spp Ricin toxin
 B. mallei, Epsilon toxin of C. perfringens
 B. pseudomallei Staphylococcal enterotoxin B,
 T2 – Mycotoxins
Food or waterborne pathogens:
Salmonella spp
S.dysenteriae,
E. coli 0157:H7,
V. cholerae, and C. parvum
R. prowazaki
C. psittaci

11. Category C
 Emerging pathogens that could be engineered for
mass spread in the future because:
 Easily available
 Easily produced and spread
 Potential for high morbidity and mortality rates
 Major health impact.
Examples:
 Nipah virus,
 Hantaviruses,
 Tickborne hemorrhagic fever viruses,
 Tickborne encephalitis viruses,
 Yellow Fever, Multidrug resistant tuberculosis

12. Reasons for using Biological & Chemical
Weapons
 Increased availability of materials and technology
through internet
 Culturing, growing and purifying toxin achieved by a
person with a university level knowledge.
(Falkernath, 1998)
 Effective in minute quantities
 Difficult to detect colorless, odorless and tasteless
(Cronin, 2003)
 Intentional outbreaks can be easily mistaken for
natural/accidental outbreaks

13. Constraints in using Bioweapons
 Technical difficulties in carrying out such an attack:
 Acquiring
 Maintaining
 Weaponising
 Effective dissemination
(Cronin, 2003)
 Far easier and potentially more effective alternatives
are available compared to Biological agents(Cronin,2003)
V/S

14. Contd….
 Uncertainty of success of food weapons.
 Threat of self inflicting injuries – agony of a slow
death V/S instantaneous death as a suicide bomber
 Processing steps may inactivate biological and
chemical agents (Cronin, 2003)
V/S

15. Review of
Food
Related Attacks

16.  Dec 19,1998
 Hawaii Police officers affected
 Food viz. luncheon meat, fried
chicken and rice
 Staph. aureus & toxins
 Motto: To incapacitate police
officials
 Between 1964-1966
 More then 100 people were
affected
 Cake contaminated by doctor.
 Obtain clinical samples for
doctorial thesis
 Salmonella Typhi
 Fatalities – 4
 100 people affected
(Mary K. Afton 1966)
Hawaii Police dept
affected
Deliberate spreading
of Typhoid In Japan

17. Chinese salesman
Poisoned Water
 Central Hanan Province
 Pesticide added to water
reservoir
 64 people sick
 Motive: Boost sale of
water purifiers
BBC NEWS 2002
 2007
 Castle berry,
Hotdog, Chili sauce
 Toxins added
intentionally
 Product recalled
nationwide
Ohio Botulism case

18.  McGill University Canada, 1970
 After a carnival meal 4 students were ill with asthma,
pulmonary infiltration and eosinophilia.
 They were served with meal contaminated with
embryonated ova of A. suum (Phills et al., 1972)
Ascaris suum
– in winter carnival….!!!!

19. Israel’s oranges and Mercury
sabotage…???
In 1978, Dozen children were hospitalized in West
Germany and Holland.
Allegedly injected mercury into oranges
Motto; Economic destabilization of Israel
( Falkenrath 1998)

20. 1984 – Rajneeshee Bio-terror attack
• Aug 10-Oct 29
• Dalles, Oregaon, USA
• Salad Contamination
• S. enterica Typhimurium
• 751 people affected
• 45 hospitalizations
To de-capacitate the
voters
in local election

21.  In 1989, grapes from Chile were laced with Cyanide
 The concentration of
cyanide was harmless
 Consequence: Recall and
Quarantine, import ban
( Dalziel., 2008)
“Cyanide in Chilean grapes “

22.  12 Lab workers affected after eating contaminated
Muffins and Pastries
 Showed diarrheal illness.
 October 29-1st November,1996. Texas
 Attack rate 100%

23.  92 persons fell ill after consuming beef purchased
from a super market, Michigan, 2003
(CDC 2003)
 FBI, USDA, MDA jointly conducted the investigation
 An employee deliberately contaminated ground beef
with pesticide – Black Leaf 40
 The active ingredient was Nicotine
Nicotine contamination of Beef

24. Food-borne Outbreak of Group A
Streptococci : Potential for
Deliberate Contamination
 Occurred in industrial plant-
Israel
 July 2,2003
 Egg mayonnaise salad
contaminated
 Group A Streptococci
 Exudative Pharyngitis
 212 workers affected
(Dorit,2003 )
Ohio Outbreak – Intentional
Contamination
 2007
 unusual incidence of
gastrointestinal illness
 3,346. affected
 Noro-virus involved
 South East Ohio June 2010
Consumption of pulled pork
Salmonella Typhimurium
variant Copenhagen 22
38 cases-During church fest
(CDC)

26. Points of Intentional contaminations
from farm to table
PRE- HARVEST
Crops & Plant
Production
Livestock &
Animal Production
Harvest Slaughter
Storage
Processing
Packaging
Storage
Wholesale
Retail Food Service
Consumer
TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORTATION
POST-HARVEST

27. Consequences of Food Terrorism
 Widespread panic, fear, apprehension and feeling of
insecurity
 Food insecurity
 Breakdown of public health measures
 Casualties
 Lack of confidence towards government
 Temporary/permanent closure of establishment
 Social and political instability
 Economic destabilization

29. 1. Respond
2. International assistance
3. Surveillance and Monitoring
4. Risk communication and distribution of information
5. Strategies with food safety
6. Protection of health-care workers

30. Respond
The ability to respond to biological or chemical
incidents depends on
A) Preparedness: Pre attack procedures
B) Response: Post attack procedures

31. I. Threat analysis
II. Preparing to respond
III. Preparing public information and communication
A)Preparedness

32.  It is a multidisciplinary activity -
Aim:
I. Threat analysis
1. Who wish to use
2. What agents may be used
3. Under what circumstances
4. Probability occurrence
5. Evaluation of consequences

33. II. Preparing to respond
Establishment
of network of
laboratories
Building health care
infrastructure: Physicians,
veterinarians, para-medicos
Pre-attack stockpiling of
antidotes, antibodies,
antibiotics and vaccines

34. III. Preparing public information and
communication
Making public aware of anticipated attack
Training them how to respond to such situation
The communication plan may include,
 Radio and television broad
 Brochures

35. I. Determination of an Outbreak
II. Identification of Agent
III. Development of Hypothesis
IV. Testing Hypothesis
B)Response Phase

36. I. Determination that an outbreak is taking place
 Patients begin to present at medical facilities
 The existing surveillance system should be able to
detect the outbreak.
 Epidemiological investigation will then be triggered

37. II. Identification of the agent involved
 Helps to take appropriate medical measures
 In contagious cases don’t wait for laboratory
confirmation
 Need of good
laboratory support

38. III. After agent is identified, develop an hypothesis
 To determine the probable source of the agent
 Probable mode of transmission.
IV.Test the hypothesis with clinical, laboratory
or environmental data

39. Management of a large-scale outbreak, will be
beyond the resources of many countries.
Early decision for international assistance may
save many lives.
WHO offers public health assistance
International assistance

40. Surveillance and Monitoring the
outbreak
 Movement of exposed individuals possible due to
delay in the onset of symptoms
 Secondary outbreaks may be seen in far away
 Hence collection of national data is necessary to track
the outbreak.

41.  To avoid widespread fear and panic following a
biological incident
 People must be told that medical evaluation and
treatment are available and how to obtain them.
Risk communication and
distribution of information

42. STRATEGIES WITH FOOD
SAFETY

43. The good agricultural practices and HACCP
Restricted access to critical areas and equipments
Farm bio-security
with restricted
access - fencing
and locks
FSMS and HACCP
at food processing
industry

44. Restrict and document access to all critical areas at
the farm Closed circuit
cameras
Silent Door
alarms
Remote controlled
televisions
Guarded entry

45. Tamper-resistant and
tamper-evident
packaging for larger
lots
Report threats and
suspicious behavior
and activities
A well documented
Product identification
and trace back system
Quality control and
end product testing

46. Safety precautions at Consumer level
Consumer education
Adequate washing and
cooking of foods
Products for which the integrity of the
seal or the container has lost should
not be consumed.

47.  Respiratory protection - face mask
 Physical protection – apron, gloves, face shield
 Principles of barrier nursing and infection control for
contagious diseases
 Vaccination or prophylactic antibiotic treatment (e.g.
Smallpox, plague and possibly anthrax).
Protection of health-care workers

48.  Immunization or prophylactic antibiotic treatment of
 Patients
 Contacts,
 Health-care personnel
Medical care

49.  More attention is being paid to Food terrorism in modern
days
 Although planning and execution of food terrorism is
difficult but not impossible
 Easily available resources through WWW. make the task
easier for terrorists
 Strict regulations, food safety measures and public health
infrastructure is required to combat food terrorism
CONCLUSIONS