About this course
About this course
HACCP addresses food safety hazards, but the BRCGS Global Standards expect a broader framework that covers product quality, legal compliance and authenticity risks too. Hazard and Risk Analysis (HARA) provides that framework. This one-day virtual programme introduces HARA principles and shows how to build a documented HARA that complements an existing HACCP study.
Who should attend
The course suits HACCP team leaders, technical managers, quality managers and product development staff in food, packaging and storage environments. It is particularly useful for sites that have recently upgraded to the latest BRCGS Issue and are refining their hazard framework beyond food safety alone. Brand-owner technical staff reviewing supplier HARAs as part of supplier approval programmes also benefit from understanding the methodology first-hand, as do consultants supporting multiple clients through the hazard framework transition.
What the programme covers
Content covers the definitions and scope of HARA, the relationship between HARA, HACCP, VACCP and TACCP, hazard identification across quality, legal and authenticity domains, risk scoring frameworks, control measure selection, documentation standards and how to present the HARA output during certification. Worked examples show how HARA reveals risks that sit outside the HACCP plan but nonetheless require control, including labelling integrity, species authenticity, pack misidentification and process deviations that compromise quality but not safety. Time is given to the practical challenge of integrating HARA outputs with existing HACCP documentation without duplication, and to the specific evidence auditors expect to see for each clause that references hazard or risk analysis.
Assessment and certification
A written assessment at the end of the day confirms competence. On passing, delegates receive the official BRCGS Certificate of Achievement, recognised by certification bodies as competence evidence for technical staff responsible for hazard analysis.
Course format and delivery
The programme runs as a single full-day live virtual session. Delivery combines methodology teaching with case study discussion drawn from published product recalls that illustrate hazards outside the food safety domain, and delegates receive HARA templates and scoring framework examples for use after the course.
Why this matters
A HARA that is genuinely separate from HACCP often uncovers risks that a food safety-only lens misses: labelling errors, species substitution, pack misidentification and process deviations that compromise quality but not safety. Sites with a robust HARA typically see fewer customer complaints and fewer product withdrawals, and handle audit findings in supporting clauses such as product development and change control with significantly less rework. The programme is often taken alongside the BRCGS HACCP course and the HARPC programme for US-facing sites. For sites strengthening their food defence posture, the STC TACCP course provides complementary coverage of intentional threat.
Browse the full BRCGS training catalogue for related programmes or explore the wider food safety training range.
