Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: TICs & TIMs

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism
Training Support Package
Participant Guide
Slide 30
Claims in 1989 that imported Chilean grapes contained cyanide resulted in a massive
downturn in the Chilean fruit industry and caused irreparable harm to that nation’s
economy. Based on phone calls placed to US, Canadian, and Japanese embassies
threatening to poison Chilean fruit exports and the discovery of two cyanide-laden
grapes, FDA officials seized all the country’s fruit exports and recommended that
consumers destroy any fruit they had at home. While subsequent testing and
investigation proved the risk to be minimal and the threat a likely hoax, the event had an
undeniable impact on the Chilean economy ($333 million USD lost) and consumer
purchasing habits.
December 2008 Version 2.0 Page 217