About this course
About this course
Food fraud is one of the most significant hidden risks in the supply chain, and BRCGS requires every certified site to maintain a documented vulnerability assessment that identifies where raw materials are most at risk. This one-day virtual programme introduces VACCP, the Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Points methodology, and shows how to apply it across ingredient sourcing, supplier approval and product specification.
Who should attend
The course is aimed at technical managers, quality managers, supplier assurance leads, HACCP team members and internal auditors in any food business that holds or is working towards BRCGS certification. It is also suitable for brand owners, retailers and consultants who assess vulnerability assessments as part of second-party supplier audits, and for procurement staff involved in raw material sourcing decisions.
What the programme covers
Sessions walk through the full VACCP lifecycle: horizon scanning and intelligence sources, threat identification, vulnerability scoring, control selection, documentation, review triggers and how to evidence the assessment during an audit. The programme also covers the interaction between VACCP, TACCP (threat assessment) and HACCP, and shows how to layer the three without duplication. Real examples from published food fraud incidents, including the horsemeat scandal, honey adulteration cases and species substitution findings, are used to stress-test methodologies and show what good looks like. The programme gives particular attention to raw material categories with elevated fraud risk, and to how to handle the vulnerability assessment when a site uses a large number of suppliers or frequently changes source.
Assessment and certification
An end-of-course assessment confirms competence. Delegates who pass receive the official BRCGS Certificate of Achievement, suitable for inclusion in audit evidence packs and supplier approval documentation.
Course format and delivery
The programme runs as a single full-day live virtual session. Delivery combines methodology teaching with structured exercises against published fraud case studies, giving delegates hands-on experience of the scoring and documentation approaches taught.
Why this matters
Vulnerability assessment is one of the clauses where auditors most commonly see weak evidence, typically because the assessment has been copied across ingredients without genuine analysis. A team that understands the methodology produces sharper, more defensible assessments and reduces the risk of losing business after a fraud incident hits the supply chain. Many learners pair VACCP with the STC TACCP threat management course for a complete view of food defence, and with the BRCGS HACCP programme to ensure hazard analysis and fraud vulnerability analysis are properly integrated. Sites with broader compliance remits often add the HARA course to extend their framework beyond food safety alone.
Explore the complete BRCGS courses and training range or read the broader food safety news and commentary for current fraud trends and horizon-scanning insight.
