The term 'homeland security' conjures up many bad memories of the last
decade, from color-coded alert charts to international extremist video
messages. But while we were glued to CNN, waiting for the next fear-bomb
to go off, no one suspected our next national security threat might
come from down on the farm instead of over in the desert. Last week's
550 million-egg salmonella recall signaled a weakness in American
security that agricultural policy-makers have been warning of since
9/11. Beyond the threat of sickness and death due to food-borne illness,
large-scale food recalls and a lack of agricultural oversight shows a
security weakness that could leave the U.S. vulnerable to
bioterrorism.
In the midst of one of the most massive food
recalls in our nation's history, Penn State has announced an addition to
their new Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security: the
Agricultural Biosecurity option.
The degree program will focus on food defense plans and applications in
the food industry to prevent intentional contamination.
"The
events of 9/11 catalyzed a lot of activity looking at how we protect
current food service infrastructure, which is a very good thing," says
Penn State
associate professor of plant pathology Gretchen Kuldau. "The
introduction of non-indigenous species or foreign pathogens that can
affect plants or food animals is something that happens on an ongoing
basis. But with the realization that there might also be a human threat
from bad actors, it really got people interested in these issues."
Kildau
admits that there have been no recorded cases of proven bioterrorism
through food contamination. But since 9/11, agricultural action groups
and oversight committees have sprung up to protect the vulnerability of
our food supply. This proactive response has given rise to a new breed
of agricultural professional that Penn State hopes to train with their
newest program. These students will be prepared to protect against threats both natural and intentional,
to keep kitchens safe.
"We have a current student who is a
veterinarian who will use this degree to help him advance his
professional credentialing. We think there will be students who work for
the USDA, particularly with APHIS, the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, food service inspectors," says Kuldau, "so there are
lots of opportunities within government and elsewhere where there is
this need for expertise in agricultural biosecurity issues."
Source: Gretchen Kuldau, Penn State UniversityWriter: John Steele