The following guidelines can help you prepare an emergency plan:

• Establish a Crisis Management Team and identify a Team Leader with back up.
• Develop an action plan in case of a terrorist threat or tampering. Include an evacuation plan for plant employees and have a copy available in a locked compartment outside the plant for reference.
• List around-the-clock contact information for internal and external communication in case of an emergency. Identify who should be notified, what triggers the notification and in what order they are notified. Include who/when to contact law enforcement officials, regulatory inspectors, etc.
• Identify a list of resources you may need in a crisis situation: testing labs, medical experts, packaging consultants, legal counsel, public relations firm, insurance company, alternate ingredient suppliers, inspection agency, etc.
• Check that your record-keeping system will allow you to trace ingredients back and trace finished product forward.
• Practice using the action plan.
• For food facilities, build security into your HACCP plan so it is routinely monitored.