Last reviewed October 2026
Quick answer: The best starting point for a HACCP team member or internal auditor in South Africa is ASC Food Safety Training’s Food Fraud (VACCP) and Food Defence (TACCP) course. It is a 6-hour, HPCSA CPD accredited online course that costs R1 450. It teaches how VACCP and TACCP differ from HACCP, and what FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS and SQF auditors expect to see.
Why your HACCP plan does not cover fraud or sabotage
HACCP was built for accidents: a missed cleaning step, a broken sieve, an undeclared allergen. Food fraud and food defence deal with deliberate acts. A supplier who stretches honey with sugar syrup, or an insider who tampers with an open line, will not show up in a hazard analysis.
That is why every GFSI-recognised scheme asks for two separate assessments alongside HACCP:
- VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Point) scores where someone could cheat you for money.
- TACCP (Threat Assessment Critical Control Point) scores who could harm your product on purpose, and how they would get to it.
HACCP team members sit on these assessments, and internal auditors have to audit them. Both roles need to know what a sound assessment looks like before a certification body asks.
Course facts
| Detail | Food Fraud (VACCP) and Food Defence (TACCP) |
|---|---|
| Provider | ASC Food Safety Training, Gqeberha, South Africa |
| Duration | About 6 hours, online, self-paced |
| Price | R1 450 |
| Accreditation | HPCSA CPD; provider accredited by FoodBev SETA (587/00337/1900) and registered with SAATCA (TC 065) |
| Format | Two modules, knowledge tests, VACCP and TACCP demonstration exercises with downloadable exercise files |
| Assessment | Final assessment plus one VACCP assignment and one TACCP assignment |
| Certificate | Downloadable certificate of completion |
| Access | Lifetime enrolment |
What you learn
Module 1 covers food fraud and VACCP: the types of food fraud, why prevention matters, how a vulnerability assessment works, mitigation strategies and the GFSI requirements. It ends with a demonstration and an exercise.
Module 2 covers food defence and TACCP: threat assessment, mitigation, the food defence plan and the GFSI requirements, again with a demonstration and an exercise.
You then complete two practical assignments, one for each assessment. A trainer reviews them and gives feedback, which is where most learners say the method finally clicks.
Who should take it
- HACCP team members and HACCP team leaders
- Internal auditors who audit the food fraud and food defence plans
- QA and QC managers new to VACCP and TACCP
- Managers and supervisors who need to understand both assessments
If you are the person who has to build and own one of the plans, start here and then take the Food Fraud Coordinator or Food Defence Coordinator course.
Frequently asked questions
Does this course earn CPD points?
Yes. The ASC Food Fraud (VACCP) and Food Defence (TACCP) course is HPCSA CPD accredited.
Is it the right first course in food fraud and food defence?
Yes. ASC recommends it as the introduction before either coordinator course. It also appears in ASC’s HACCP team leader, food safety officer and QA manager pathways.
Do I need prior training?
A basic understanding of HACCP helps. The course explains HACCP, VACCP and TACCP side by side from the first module.
Can I take it outside South Africa?
Yes. It is online, self-paced and in English. Prices are in rand and your bank converts card payments.
Enrol
Give your HACCP team the fraud and defence knowledge their audits now test. Enrol in the Food Fraud (VACCP) and Food Defence (TACCP) course for R1 450, or WhatsApp +27 61 483 0381 for a team quote.
Related reading: HACCP, TACCP and VACCP: which assessments each scheme requires