Food Defense is the protection of food products from intentional contamination or adulteration by biological, chemical, physical, or radiological agents. It addresses additional concerns including physical, personnel and operational security. This is in contrast to
Food Safety, which is based on accidental or environmental contamination, and
Food Security, which deals with individuals having access to enough food for an active, healthy life. These three terms are often conflated. Food Protection is the umbrella term encompassing both Food Defense and
Food Safety.