Last reviewed October 2026
Quick answer: Procurement and supplier approval staff should take ASC Food Safety Training’s Food Fraud Coordinator: VACCP, the Schemes and the Prevention Plan. It is an 8-hour online course, costing R1 750, that trains the person who owns the food fraud vulnerability assessment. You build a real assessment, a trainer marks it, and you keep the finished, corrected version.
Why food fraud is a procurement problem
Most food fraud enters a business through its raw materials and suppliers. The buyer sees the price history, the broker, the origin claim and the certificate. That makes procurement the first line of defence, and the people auditors increasingly want in the room.
The risk is real in South Africa. A 2013 Stellenbosch University study found species not declared on the label, including donkey, goat and water buffalo, in 68% of the processed meat products it tested.
A certificate on file is not a verified supplier. A certificate of analysis is not proof of authenticity, and testing only finds what it is designed to look for.
What the course trains you to do
- Build a food fraud mitigation team with procurement in the room, and gather the sourcing evidence every score depends on, including price history.
- Group materials sensibly and map each supply chain well enough to score access and complexity.
- Score all seven vulnerability factors in ISO 22002-100:2025 clause 16.3, then convert the opportunity score to a probability and add severity.
- Write mitigation that combines preventive and detection measures, then re-score the residual risk honestly.
- Decide how far back up the chain to score when you buy through a distributor.
- Verify supplier certificates properly and run horizon scanning that leaves an audit record.
Course facts
| Detail | Food Fraud Coordinator |
|---|---|
| Duration | About 8 hours, online, self-paced; most delegates finish in 2 to 3 weeks |
| Price | R1 750 |
| Structure | 5 modules, about 30 lessons of 10 to 17 minutes, 4 knowledge checks, 2 games |
| Practical | Score 3 material groups for Mzansi Fresh Meals, a case-study ready meals manufacturer; marked by a trainer against a rubric, with coaching notes and a second attempt |
| Final assessment | 30 questions, video proctored, 70% to pass |
| You keep | Your own marked vulnerability assessment and a certificate of completion |
| Standards | FSSC 22000 clause 2.5.4 (Versions 6 and 7), BRCGS Issue 9 section 5.4, SQF Edition 10 clause 2.7.2, IFS Food 8 section 4.20, GFSI 2024 FSM 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5 |
| Entry level | Working knowledge of food safety systems, at HACCP team member level or above |
Who should take it
- Procurement and supply chain managers being asked fraud questions they have no method to answer
- Supplier approval and vendor assurance staff
- Technical and quality managers who have been given the food fraud brief
- Consultants who build or defend vulnerability assessments for clients
You do not need your own site. Every activity, including the marked practical, can be completed on the case study.
Frequently asked questions
What qualification does a food fraud coordinator need?
None is prescribed. GFSI Benchmarking Requirements 2024 (FSM 8.5) and FSSC 22000 Version 7 clause 2.5.4 (a) require appropriate knowledge and competence but name no course. A training record specific to the method is the strongest evidence you can file.
I buy through a distributor. Whom do I assess?
Both. You assess the distributor on the relationship and the chain behind them on opportunity. The course gives this question its own lesson.
Does it cover FSSC 22000 Version 7?
Yes, and Version 6. Version 7 was published in May 2026, and Version 6 audits are allowed until 30 April 2027.
How is it different from the overview course?
The overview course explains VACCP and TACCP. This course makes you build a vulnerability assessment and has it marked.
Enrol
Turn your buyers into your first fraud control. Enrol in the Food Fraud Coordinator course for R1 750, or save R1 237 with the three-course bundle.
Related reading: Food fraud horizon scanning and supplier certificate checks