Congressional auditors say the country’s food supply is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, partly because the government cannot ensure the security of processing plants. The General Accounting Office issued the report Tuesday as the Agriculture Department told food companies, retailers and farmers to increase security because of the heightened security alert. The Food and Drug Administration issued additional security guidelines to food companies Wednesday. Among the recommendations: employee background checks, banning workers from bringing purses or other personal items into food-storage areas and training workers to recognize suspicious behavior or possible food tampering. The FDA also increased inspections of certain food factories and of imported foods. The congressional auditors said that USDA and the FDA, which share oversight of the food supply, could lower the risk of an attack if food companies had to share detailed security plans with them. Now, companies are asked to volunteer the information. Full Story