Online TACCP & VACCP Training (Understanding)

25.00+ VAT

TACCP & VACCP Training Course

4.6 (114 reviews)

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£25.00 +VAT per person

Course information

Certificate on Successful Completion
Access course on Desktop, Laptop or Tablet
30 Multiple Choice Questions
Course Duration: 90 Minutes
CPD Points: 2

This TACCP & VACCP training course is a Level 2 (Understanding) and will give food workers in manufacturing, retail or catering environment a good level of knowledge on how to implement a successful VACCP & TACCP risk management system into their food establishments.

TACCP – Threat Assessment & Critical Control Point and VACCP – Vulnerability Assessment & Critical Control Point are designed to avoid and mitigate threats to the food supply chain and the food business. TACCP & VACCP can be combined into a single risk management system and can be used by businesses of all types and sizes.

TACCP and VACCP were developed to address Intentional acts of contamination – threats and vulnerability as opposed to the focus of HACCP on risks to food safety.

Train online at your own pace with a full audio voiceover
Accredited by CPD
Certificate on successful completion
Course duration: 90 Minutes
Unlimited resits at no cost

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Who is this Online TACCP & VACCP Training for?

This course is for those who cook, produce or handle food, which is then supplied to members of the public. It is also suitable for food workers who have specific responsibilities in manufacturing, retail or catering. It ensures that those who work with food are aware of the threats that could be made by an individual or group to intentionally contaminate food to cause harm to the consumer or harm business reputation.

If you are a manager or supervisor in the food industry, completing our Level 3 Food Hygiene Course would be highly beneficial, as it covers food safety management in greater depth and supports a proactive approach to maintaining high standards.

Course Screenshots

Course Aim

This course aims to give you a good level of knowledge and understanding relating to TACCP (Threat Assessment and Critical Control Point) and VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Point) in a food environment.

This course covers procedures that can be adopted by food businesses to assure the security of food and drink and their supply chains from malicious and ideologically motivated attacks leading to contamination or supply disruption (PAS: 2017).

This course is for food workers in manufacturing, retail or catering.

HACCP is the overarching system, while TACCP (Threat Assessment) and VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment) are supporting/adjacent systems focused on food fraud and food defense.

For those looking to deepen their knowledge of food safety and understand a preventative systems approach to food production, our HACCP Training courses cover everything from awareness to management level.

Learning Objectives Course Content Assessment

Learning Objectives

On completion of the course, you should be able to:

Explain the difference between TACCP/ VACCP and HACCP
List the six practical steps to implement a TACCP assessment
Explain the importance of reviewing TACCP assessment documentation

Course Content

This course is made up of the following modules:

Introduction to TACCP & VACCP

This section breaks down the course structure and looks at the terms HACCP, TACCP and VACCP were created.
Module 1 - What is TACCP and VACCP?

This module looks into great detail at what TACCP and VACCP is, what it stands for and why it is important within food safety.
Module 2 - Developing a Food Defence System

This module concentrates on what risk assessments should be taken, how to assemble a TACCP team and the types of attackers to be aware of.
Module 3 - The TACCP Approach to Assessing Threats and Vulnerabilities

In this final module, you will cover how to evaluate vulnerabilities, and look at the different applications of TACCP procedures that can be put in place to prevent hazards to health.

Download Course Overview (PDF)

Assessment

On completion of the course lessons and training material an online assessment will automatically unlock. The assessment will contain 30 multiple-choice questions and a mark of 75% or above will be required to pass.

The assessment will be marked instantly and so you will know straight away if you have passed or not. If you don't pass first time there's no need to worry. Unlimited resits at absolutely no additional charge are available so you can retake the assessment again as many times as you need to.

TACCP & VACCP Training Certification

Our entire library of training courses is accredited by the CPD Certification Service as adhering to the universally recognised Continuing Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

Upon passing the online assessment you will have the options to both print and download your TACCP & VACCP Training Certificate in PDF format. In addition to this an automated email will also be sent to your chosen email address containing a link to your certificate ensuring you always have access to a copy.

Furthermore, a QR code is displayed on each certificate which when scanned by a smartphone links to our certification database. This allows employers, auditors and local authority inspectors, for example, to establish a certificates validity instantly and at any time.

Common TACCP and VACCP Questions

While UK legislation does not specifically state that businesses must complete TACCP or VACCP training, many food manufacturers choose to implement these systems to meet customer requirements, support recognised standards such as BRCGS and SALSA, and strengthen their food safety management systems.

Training helps employees understand how deliberate threats and food fraud could affect products, enabling them to identify risks before they become incidents.

Reasons businesses provide TACCP and VACCP training
Why businesses provide training	Benefit
Customer audit requirements	Demonstrates due diligence
BRCGS certification	Supports food defence expectations
Food fraud prevention	Reduces opportunities for adulteration
Food defence	Helps protect products from intentional harm
Staff awareness	Encourages early reporting of suspicious activity

Although not every employee will need responsibility for completing a TACCP or VACCP assessment, everyone involved in food production should understand the role they play in protecting food integrity.

Although the three systems work together, each focuses on a different type of food safety risk.

Comparison of HACCP, TACCP and VACCP
System	Focus	Example
HACCP	Unintentional food safety hazards	Incorrect cooking temperature
TACCP	Deliberate malicious attacks	Intentional contamination
VACCP	Food fraud and economically motivated adulteration	Substituting expensive ingredients

Together they provide a more complete approach to food safety by considering accidental hazards, deliberate attacks and fraudulent activity across the supply chain.

TACCP and VACCP awareness training is suitable for anyone involved in producing, handling or managing food products.

Typical job roles include:

Food production staff
Quality assurance teams
Technical managers
HACCP team members
Supervisors
Purchasing teams
Warehouse personnel
Senior management

Providing awareness across different departments helps create a stronger food defence culture rather than relying on one individual.

Threats and vulnerabilities can change over time due to new suppliers, changing ingredients, emerging fraud risks or changes within your own business.

Most organisations review their assessments:

When a TACCP or VACCP assessment should be reviewed
Review trigger	Review required
Annual review	Yes
New supplier	Yes
New ingredient	Yes
New product	Yes
Food fraud alert	Yes
Security incident	Yes

Regular reviews help ensure existing control measures remain effective and relevant.

Understanding the difference between threats and vulnerabilities makes implementing these systems much easier.

Examples of TACCP threats

Deliberate contamination
Sabotage
Product tampering
Cyber attacks affecting production
Insider threats

Examples of VACCP vulnerabilities

Ingredient substitution
Counterfeit products
False country of origin claims
Dilution of premium ingredients
Supplier fraud

Identifying these risks early allows businesses to introduce practical controls that reduce the likelihood of incidents affecting consumers or the organisation.

The Importance of TACCP & VACCP

Unlike HACCP, which focuses on accidental hazards, TACCP helps organisations consider how someone could deliberately contaminate food or disrupt production.

Training improves awareness of potential threats and helps employees recognise suspicious behaviour before it becomes a serious incident.

Common areas considered include:

Site security
Visitor access
Product storage
Process controls
Staff awareness

Developing a proactive approach to food defence helps reduce opportunities for malicious activity.

Food fraud can have significant financial, legal and reputational consequences.

VACCP training teaches employees how fraud can occur throughout the supply chain and how vulnerabilities can be reduced through effective purchasing, supplier approval and monitoring procedures.

Examples of food fraud risks and possible control measures
Food fraud risk	Possible control
Ingredient substitution	Approved suppliers
Counterfeit products	Supplier verification
Dilution	Product testing
Mislabelling	Specification checks
False origin claims	Supply chain audits

Even relatively small fraud incidents can have lasting effects on consumer confidence.

Many food manufacturers implement TACCP and VACCP as part of broader food safety and quality management systems.

Training provides staff with a better understanding of the principles behind food defence and food fraud prevention, making it easier to contribute during internal audits and certification assessments.

It also demonstrates that businesses are investing in staff competence alongside documented procedures.

Food defence is not solely the responsibility of technical or quality departments.

Employees working in production, warehousing, purchasing and distribution all play an important role in identifying unusual behaviour or weaknesses within the business.

Training encourages staff to:

Report concerns promptly
Challenge unusual activity
Follow security procedures
Protect confidential information
Understand why controls exist

positive food safety culture relies on everyone understanding their responsibilities.

A single food defence or food fraud incident can result in product recalls, loss of customer confidence, financial losses and damage to a company's reputation.

Effective TACCP and VACCP training helps businesses reduce these risks by improving awareness and encouraging preventative action.

Benefits of TACCP and VACCP training for businesses
Benefit	Business impact
Improved consumer protection	Greater confidence in products
Reduced fraud risk	Lower financial losses
Better audit readiness	Easier compliance with customer expectations
Stronger supply chain assurance	Improved supplier confidence
Enhanced reputation	Increased trust from customers

Investing in staff knowledge is often one of the most effective ways to strengthen food defence and product authenticity across the organisation.

Workplace Scenario

1 / 8

Deliberate Allergen Contamination

Situation

A food manufacturing business receives a complaint after undeclared peanuts are found in a product labelled as peanut-free. During the investigation, it is discovered that an employee deliberately added peanut powder to the production line as a malicious act.

What went wrong

The business had not fully assessed insider threats within its TACCP plan.
Access to allergen ingredients was not adequately controlled.
Staff movement between production areas was not sufficiently monitored.
Employees had not received adequate food defence awareness training.

Key takeaway

TACCP helps businesses identify deliberate threats, including insider risks. Restricting access to high-risk ingredients, monitoring sensitive production areas and ensuring employees understand food defence principles can significantly reduce the likelihood of intentional contamination.

Workplace Scenario

Counterfeit Olive Oil

Situation

A food distributor purchased premium extra virgin olive oil from a new supplier at a significantly lower price than usual. Laboratory testing later revealed the product had been blended with cheaper vegetable oils before being supplied to customers..

What went wrong?

The supplier approval process had not identified potential fraud risks.
Purchasing decisions were based primarily on price.
Product authenticity testing had not been carried out.
The VACCP assessment had not identified olive oil as a vulnerable ingredient

Key takeaway

VACCP encourages businesses to assess economically motivated food fraud. Higher-risk ingredients should be sourced from trusted suppliers, supported by robust verification procedures and, where appropriate, authenticity testing.

Workplace Scenario

Honey Adulteration

Situation

A company producing premium honey products unknowingly purchased honey that had been diluted with inexpensive sugar syrups. The adulterated product entered the supply chain before routine authenticity testing identified the issue.

What went wrong?

The vulnerability of honey to food fraud had not been fully considered.
Supplier verification procedures were insufficient.
Incoming product testing was not carried out frequently enough.
Procurement teams were unaware of current food fraud trends.

Key takeaway

Certain foods are recognised as being more vulnerable to adulteration than others. VACCP assessments should identify these ingredients so that appropriate supplier assurance, product testing and purchasing controls can be implemented.

Workplace Scenario

Visitor Access to Production Areas

Situation

A contractor entered a food production area without being escorted after signing into reception. The individual was able to access processing equipment before being challenged by a member of staff. Although no contamination occurred, the incident highlighted weaknesses in site security.

What went wrong?

Visitor access procedures were not consistently followed.
Contractors had unrestricted access to production areas.
Employees were unsure of their responsibilities for challenging unauthorised persons.
The TACCP assessment had not adequately considered physical security controls.

Key takeaway

Food defence is about preventing opportunities for intentional harm before they occur. Effective visitor management, restricted access, staff awareness and regular reviews of physical security measures all form important parts of a robust TACCP programme.

Workplace Scenario

Horsemeat Substitution

Situation

A food manufacturer sourced frozen beef from a new supplier offering significantly lower prices than established vendors. Several months later, routine DNA testing revealed that some batches contained horsemeat instead of 100% beef. The incident resulted in a product recall, customer complaints and damage to the company's reputation.

What went wrong?

The supplier approval process did not identify potential food fraud risks.
Purchasing decisions focused heavily on cost rather than supplier assurance.
The business had not identified beef as a high-risk ingredient within its VACCP assessment.
Routine authenticity testing was not carried out on incoming raw materials.

Key takeaway

The horsemeat scandal demonstrated how economically motivated food fraud can affect even well-established supply chains. VACCP helps businesses identify vulnerable ingredients, strengthen supplier verification and introduce appropriate authenticity testing to reduce the likelihood of fraudulent substitution.

Workplace Scenario

Diluted Herbs and Spices (VACCP)

Situation

A spice manufacturer received a shipment of ground oregano from an overseas supplier. During routine quality testing, the product was found to contain undeclared olive leaves that had been added to increase volume and reduce production costs.

What went wrong?

Herbs and spices had not been identified as vulnerable ingredients.
Supplier verification procedures were insufficient for high-risk raw materials.
Procurement staff were unaware of known food fraud risks affecting herbs and spices.
Product authenticity testing was not included within the verification programme.

Key takeaway

Herbs and spices are among the ingredients most frequently targeted for food fraud due to their high value and complex supply chains. A robust VACCP assessment helps businesses identify these vulnerabilities and implement suitable supplier controls, testing programmes and purchasing procedures.

Workplace Scenario

Insider Sabotage by a Disgruntled Employee (TACCP)

Situation

Following a disciplinary investigation, a production employee deliberately interfered with ingredients during a manufacturing run. Although the contamination was identified before products left the factory, the incident caused significant production delays and required the disposal of a large quantity of finished goods.

What went wrong?

The TACCP assessment did not fully consider insider threats.
Access to ingredients and production areas was not adequately restricted.
Employee welfare concerns and behavioural warning signs were not identified.
Staff had not received sufficient food defence awareness training.

Key takeaway

Not all food defence threats originate outside the business. TACCP encourages organisations to consider insider threats alongside external risks by strengthening physical security, restricting access to sensitive areas and promoting a culture where employees report suspicious behaviour.

Workplace Scenario

Cyber Attack on Production Systems (TACCP)

Situation

A food manufacturer experienced a cyber attack that compromised its production management system. The attackers altered digital production records and recipe specifications, creating the risk that products could be manufactured using incorrect ingredient quantities before the issue was detected.

What went wrong?

Cyber security risks had not been considered during the TACCP assessment.
Access controls for production software were inadequate.
Critical recipe data was not sufficiently protected or monitored.
Staff had not been trained to recognise phishing emails and other cyber threats.

Key takeaway

Modern food defence extends beyond physical security. Digital systems that control recipes, production equipment and traceability records can also be targeted. TACCP assessments should consider cyber security alongside traditional food defence measures to help protect both products and business operations.

Course Reviews

4.6.

(114 reviews)

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TACCP & VACCP Training Course

Course information

Discounts on Bulk Purchases

Who is this Online TACCP & VACCP Training for?

Course Screenshots

Course Aim

Learning Objectives

Course Content

Assessment

TACCP & VACCP Training Certification

Common TACCP and VACCP Questions

Is TACCP and VACCP training mandatory?

What is the difference between HACCP, TACCP and VACCP?

Who should complete TACCP and VACCP training?

How often should TACCP and VACCP assessments be reviewed?

What are examples of TACCP and VACCP risks?

The Importance of TACCP & VACCP

Helps prevent intentional food contamination

Reduces the risk of food fraud

Supports recognised food safety standards

Builds a stronger food safety culture

Protects consumers and business reputation

Examples of Food Fraud Incidents

Deliberate Allergen Contamination

Situation

What went wrong

Key takeaway

Counterfeit Olive Oil

Situation

What went wrong?

Key takeaway

Honey Adulteration

Situation

What went wrong?

Key takeaway

Visitor Access to Production Areas

Situation

What went wrong?

Key takeaway

Horsemeat Substitution

Situation

What went wrong?

Key takeaway

Diluted Herbs and Spices (VACCP)

Situation

What went wrong?

Key takeaway

Insider Sabotage by a Disgruntled Employee (TACCP)

Situation

What went wrong?

Key takeaway

Cyber Attack on Production Systems (TACCP)

Situation

What went wrong?

Key takeaway

Course Reviews

Related Online Training Courses

Discounts on bulk purchases

Course information

Frequently Asked Questions