Which agency leads efforts to protect food from intentional contamination?

• A. Department of Homeland Security
• B. FDA
• C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• D. Environmental Protection Agency

Answer: (A)

Protecting the food supply from deliberate acts of contamination is a national security and critical infrastructure protection task, not just a public health concern. The Department of Homeland Security leads this effort by coordinating across federal agencies, state and local authorities, and industry partners. DHS oversees the Food and Agriculture Sector within the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, focusing on prevention, detection, and rapid response to threats and ensuring resilience of the food system. While FDA, CDC, and EPA have important roles—FDA in general food safety, CDC in disease surveillance, and EPA in environmental protection—leading the security and defense against intentional contamination falls to DHS.