Food Defense Coordinator Training: Live on Zoom or Self-Paced

It's a leadership course that prepares the person responsible for a site's Food Defense Plan to conduct vulnerability assessments, assign and monitor mitigation strategies, manage corrective actions, and verify the plan — all aligned to FDA's Intentional Adulteration Rule (21 CFR 121).

The Intentional Adulteration Rule (21 CFR Part 121) is the FSMA rule that requires covered food facilities to protect food against intentional acts meant to cause wide-scale public health harm. Covered facilities must have a written food defense plan and put mitigation strategies in place at their most vulnerable process steps.

FDA's Intentional Adulteration Rule applies to most domestic and foreign facilities required to register under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Covered facilities must prepare and maintain a written Food Defense Plan and have key activities conducted by, or overseen by, appropriately trained individuals.

21 CFR 121.5 exempts very small businesses (averaging less than $10 million a year, adjusted for inflation, which must still keep documentation of that status), the holding of food except in liquid storage tanks, packing and labeling where the container touching the food stays intact, activities of farms covered by the Produce Safety Rule, certain alcoholic beverages, and animal food.

Under 21 CFR 121.126, the written food defense plan must include the vulnerability assessment identifying significant vulnerabilities and actionable process steps, the mitigation strategies, procedures for food defense monitoring, procedures for food defense corrective actions, and procedures for food defense verification.

An actionable process step is a point, step, or procedure in a food process where a significant vulnerability exists and where mitigation strategies can be applied. In this course you identify your actionable process steps using FDA's Key Activity Types (KAT) and 3-element methods.

At least once every three years, and sooner when a significant change at the facility creates a reasonable potential for a new vulnerability, when you learn of new information about potential vulnerabilities, when a mitigation strategy or the plan isn't properly implemented, or when FDA requires it in response to new vulnerabilities or credible threats.

Everyone assigned to an actionable process step must be qualified to do the job and receive food defense awareness training. People who conduct the vulnerability assessment, identify mitigation strategies, or perform reanalysis need training for that function at least equivalent to an FDA-recognized standardized curriculum, or equivalent job experience. All training must be documented in records. For frontline staff, our 30-minute self-paced course is built to support that awareness training.

The rule lets you qualify for vulnerability assessment, mitigation strategy, and reanalysis work through training at least equivalent to the FDA-recognized standardized curriculum (FSPCA's Intentional Adulteration courses) or through equivalent job experience. This course gives food defense coordinators hands-on practice with those same activities and a documented training record. If you need to document FDQI qualification by training, contact us and we'll help you map out the right courses.

Yes. The course supports the food defense expectations of the major GFSI-benchmarked schemes, including SQF, BRCGS and FSSC 22000, in addition to 21 CFR 121, so the work you do in class supports both regulatory and certification requirements.

It's a full day — six hours including lunch and breaks — combining instruction, five hands-on exercises, and scenario-based practice. Participants work through a facility workbook during the session and receive a Certificate of Completion.

Food Defense Coordinator Training is live and instructor-led on Zoom, so you can ask questions about your own operation and build your plan with guidance in real time. For frontline staff, we also offer a separate self-paced course, Food Defense Awareness Training for Frontline Employees: about 30 minutes online, $25 per seat, with a dated certificate on an 80% pass.

The live course is a full day on Zoom for the coordinators and managers who build and maintain the food defense plan: vulnerability assessment with the KAT and 3-element methods, mitigation strategies, monitoring, corrective actions and verification, worked through in a facility workbook. It's $499 per seat with a Certificate of Completion. The self-paced course is a 30-minute food defense awareness course for frontline staff at your actionable process steps: where food is most vulnerable, insider warning signs, everyday security habits and who to tell. It's $25 per seat, starts anytime and issues a dated certificate on an 80% pass.

The next class is November 17, 2026, 8:30 AM–2:30 PM CT on Zoom, followed by March 9 and September 21, 2027. Enroll with the enroll box at the top of this page, or email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778 with questions.

Registration is $499 per seat. The self-paced awareness course for frontline staff is $25 per seat. For six or more people, ask about private training: email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778.

Yes. Food Defense Awareness Training for Frontline Employees is self-paced, works on any device and needs no class date, so each person can take it when their shift allows. Team pricing is $19 per seat for 25 or more seats, $15 for 100 or more and $12 for 250 or more.

Yes. For organizations training a group, we offer private delivery on site or virtually, tailored to your products, processes and facility. Email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778 to schedule.

Yes. Email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778 to reschedule at no additional charge. Refunds are available up to 5 business days before the course start date.