Food Defence : TACCP - Threat Assessment Critical Control Point

With regards to food safety across all food schemes, food defence has been a very important element protecting business and consumers from internal and external threats.

It encompasses a range of potential threats from relatively common tamper hoaxes to less probable terrorist attacks. These form a part of additional requirements under FSSC 22000. These FSSC additional requirements are aligned with GFSI requirements and taken to the management system level, making it a part of the management responsibility process. The GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) definition of food defence is: the process to ensure security of food and drink and their supply chain from malicious attack including ideologically motivated attack leading to contamination (GFSI: 2017). Food Defence typically follows the requirements within PAS 96: 2017.

TACCP (Threat Assessment Critical Control Point; PAS 96 recommended) refers to the motivation or root cause for food defence to cause harm to consumers which can be intentional adulteration / behavioural / ideologically motivated. This is different than the motivation for food fraud that is exclusively for economic gain.

The key steps for an organization to follow while developing TACCP includes:

• Conduct a threat assessment to identify and assess potential threats
• Develop and implement mitigation measures for significant threats

It is important to identify as many threats as possible so that they can be assessed. On subsequent repetition of threats, team can determine that a control measure would be required. A risk matrix similar to HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) can be used (Likelihood of occurrence * Impact / Consequence). The effectiveness of protecting food products of any organisation is largely dependent on people thereby making training programmes and communication absolutely essential.

TUV India Pvt Ltd has under its wings a vast pool of experienced auditors executing audits for Food Schemes and thereby providing their knowledge and expertise to Food Industries through detailed assessment of the Food Defence Program as a part of audit protocols. Thus it is ensured that the organizations develop a robust and practical TACCP plan while addressing Food Defence. .

Apart from General management system trainings, TUV India also offers a wide range of theme based trainings on various food safety topics.

You could also avail information on our upcoming trainings and know more about our organisation by downloading our mobile application TUV India Training Academy (TITA) just at a click of a button on your mobile phones.

To Download :

• For Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tuvindia.apps.tuvindiatrainingacademy  
• For iOS  : https://apps.apple.com/in/app/tuv-india-training-academy/id1529091701

We wish you happy learning and look forward to serving you better !!