Foodgrade security gaining attention with carriers, shippers, officials

Sept. 1, 2002
TRANSPORTING foodgrade products has long required intensive sanitary and security measures, but after the terrorist attacks on the United States last

TRANSPORTING foodgrade products has long required intensive sanitary and security measures, but after the terrorist attacks on the United States last year, the security aspect gained even more priority. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of developing new regulations that may impact carriers, and shippers have stepped up their security requirements. Various industry associations also are attempting to develop new security standards.

“Among the things we learned (September 11) was that we cannot take for granted the security of our food supply,” said Steve Reinemund, PepsiCo Inc chairman and chief executive officer, in remarks made at the Food Safety Summit, Washington DC, March 15. “Our industry is hiring more security personnel and making them more visible in plants, warehouses, and distribution centers. Many companies have added extra security cameras in and around production and transportation facilities, and they are monitoring those security cameras around the clock. Companies are routinely restricting access to production areas and plant locations that house storage tanks and supplies.”

Another point was made by Mark Johnson of the Transportation Security Administration at the American Frozen Food Institute's annual Distribution and Logistics Conference June 23-25. “Our economy can't be brought to its knees because of security,” he said. “We must achieve a delicate balance between keeping the economy humming and protecting ourselves against the very real threats facing our nation. The agency will request voluntary guidelines from industry trade associations with hopes of developing regulations that are consistent among all sectors of the transportation industry, to avoid creating an economic advantage for a few. The agency also hopes to test new regulations from a practical standpoint before final regulations go into place.”

Cliff Harvison, National Tank Truck Carriers president, notes that the association has some recommended practices that were developed with the National Food Processors Association in the late 1980s. “We are looking to revise and update these in the context of security,” he says, adding that NTTC is creating a list of foodgrade carriers who could do the work of reviewing, commenting, and updating the recommended practices.

“FDA plans to publish a proposed rule by December 2002 and is required to publish a final rule by December 2003,” says John Conley, NTTC vice-president. “FDA has identified four areas that might impact transporters: registration of food facilities (certain carrier facilities might fall under this definition), establishment and maintenance of records, prior notice of imported food shipments, and administrative detention (a tank trailer carrying foodgrade products could be impounded).”

Meanwhile, carriers are training drivers to be more alert to possible sabotage by being diligent with seal application and documentation, and scrambling to meet shipper demands.

“It's really getting to be an issue everywhere we go,” says Kirk Erickson, bulk division manager of Prime Inc, Springfield, Missouri. “Shippers have certain requirements, and many of them are different from the other.”

At Kings County Truck Lines in Tulare, California, Kary Mancebo says that some shippers are requiring seals on additional tank trailer locations. Some customers mandate keys and locks for cabinets housing valves, hoses, and other product-handling hardware.

These new requirements are in addition to the extensive standards that were already in place. “We've always made a concerted effort to seal everything,” says Mark Darling, safety director at Oakley Transport, Lake Wales, Florida. “Now, we're looking at different types of seals, including cable seals.”

Conley has surveyed members of NTTC to determine whether they are aware of any problems resulting from roadside inspectors breaking seals. “We know that this is a big problem in the dry freight and refrigerated industries, but have not heard of many cases in bulk transportation,” he says. He points out that a broken seal equals a rejected load.

In addition, NTTC is seeking comments from its members regarding the developing regulations at the FDA in order for the association to present comments at the appropriate time.

Carriers aren't the only food transport sector participants faced with new security requirements. Foodgrade tank cleaning facilities are using more and more seals. Bob Young at Lafayette Santi-Wash, Lafayette, Indiana, says 20,000 seals are used quickly. Before the security issue arose, that number would supply his facility for a year and a half.

“We're putting them on by the handfuls,” says Young. In addition to applying seals after a tank is cleaned, Young supplies seals to carriers. Before the security measures were intensified, he would supply about 200 seals in the first quarter. Today, the count for the same period has reached 3,000.

Furthermore, he has been waiting longer for new orders to arrive. “I ordered 20,000 seals June 2 and at the end of July still had not received them,” he says. Because more seals are required today, he had to find storage space for the growing inventory. “Luckily we had an extra office that was not in use, and we can keep them there under lock and key.

“The concern on the seals is that one will be misplaced, one number might be off in a series, it could be misread, or a seal could be put on manhole, but recorded for a valve,” says Young.

He says that he has heard from carriers that some seals have a bar code. Some shippers are hiring guards to check the seals when product is moved in and out of plants.

Frank Mislyan, cleaning facility maintenance director at Oakley, noted that the company has added additional sealing points on all new trailers, including at the dome lid, three-inch caps that close off the discharge valves, and the hose tubes. He estimates wash rack personnel are spending an additional five minutes at each cleaning in order to record the seal numbers.

More time also is required for driver training, says Erickson. At the same time, he estimates drivers are spending an additional 30 minutes checking seals and recording information.

Darling says Oakley drivers have been warned to report in more often while on the road, and to continue moving should someone pull along side and try to stop them.

“We've done a lot of internal training with drivers that includes making sure that they are doing a better job checking the seals,” he adds.

Mancebo says some shippers are requiring foodgrade drivers to have identification cards with photographs. If the each shipper provides a card for each driver, that may mean that they will have several ID cards to keep up with.

Although the security demands are intense, most foodgrade carriers are able to meet the challenge since their industry historically focused on sanitation and security. That places them in a good position to handle further priorities should they be required.