Stručni rad
COMPUTER SIMULATION AS A TOOL FOR RISK ASSESSMENT OF TERRORIST ATTACKS IN A FOOD PRODUCTION CHAIN
Boris Antunović
; Poljoprivredni fakultet Sveučilišta J.J. Strossmayer u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
I. Varga
; Poljoprivredni fakultet Sveučilišta J.J. Strossmayer u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Gordana Kralik
; Poljoprivredni fakultet Sveučilišta J.J. Strossmayer u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Mirjana Baban
; Poljoprivredni fakultet Sveučilišta J.J. Strossmayer u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Vedran Poljak
; Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Bela Njari
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Željko Pavičić
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sejad Mačkić
; Agencija za sigurnost hrane, Mostar, Bosna i Hercegovina
Sažetak
The term “terrorist” is related to a person that is performing violent acts with the aim of frightening or causing damage and producing chaos within the system. Because of the possibilities to direct such actions on wide population and easiness of producing panic, food is often one of the most potential targets for terrorist attacks.
In recent years, such incidents are not rare any more, scenarios of theoretical possibilities of terrorist attacks on food chains are not only theoretical, while worry that such scenarios could become real is gaining higher dimension. Intentional spoilage of food can result in significant economic consequences, even when incidents are
of relatively low range, because of the ruining of economic stability that is often the main motivation of an intentional attack targeted at a certain food product, producer, industry branch or even whole country. World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared
unintentional and intentional food spoilages in its Annual Health Report published in 2007 as the biggest threat to health in 21st century. Because of that, WHO is appealing to the member countries’ governments, as well as the other countries, to help food industry as it carries on now primary responsibility for food safety, while
the intentional food spoilage often presents completely new option for them that should be revised. Measures for prevention, together with increased surveillance and facilities for adequate response in cases of intentional or unintentional food spoilage, better tracing and possibilities for food withdrawal, interactive communication
between governmental institutions and food producers, predicted scenarios that should rationalise usage of budget, simplification of defining of priorities in the cases of incidents, as well as coordination between the industry and governments in public communication should be considered as a minimum that each government
should be doing. With this aim, more care has been directed at the safety of producing units, increase of hygiene standards and introduction of preventive approach through the implementation of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) principles, which is developing preventive measures aimed at prevention of unintentional food spoilage while producing, processing and distribution of food. Despite the fact that HACCP is most often an efficient system, it frequently demands upgrading in the meaning of protection from intentional food spoilages through the terrorist attacks. Prevention from such incidents does not necessarily
require high technology and financial resources. Good opportunity could be found in CARVER+Shock computer program that is accessible and free to use and has been developed by the USA Government. It serves as a tool for determination of priorities and detection of vulnerable points within certain producing unit or other
infrastructure. The program can analyse six characteristics that can be used for assessment of attractiveness of a target for attack: criticality, accessibility, recuperability, vulnerability, effect and recognisability, while it is being performed in five steps: establishing parameters, assembling experts, detailing food supply chain,
assigning scores and applying what has been learned. The listed possibilities make this program an ideal tool for the identifi cation of potentially weak points in a food producing chain related to attackers and agents recognised as potential threats.
Ključne riječi
terrorism; food; software; risk assessment
Hrčak ID:
71364
URI
Datum izdavanja:
28.6.2011.
Posjeta: 2.023 *