TACCP AND VACCP: What’s the Difference?

TACCP and VACCP are relatively new programs based on the more familiar Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) program, but they address threats and vulnerabilities instead of hazards.

TACCP stands for Threat Assessment and Critical Control Points. This protocol focuses on tampering, intentional adulteration of food, and food defence.

TACCP generally requires a wider range of employee involvement than HACCP, as it covers issues such as manufacturing plant and transportation security, IT security, and employee background checks. Some points will overlap with HACCP, such as tamper-proof seals and various quality control checks.

VACCP stands for Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Points. It focuses on food fraud as well, and widens the scope to include systematic prevention of any potential adulteration of food, whether intentional or not, by identifying the vulnerable points in a supply chain. It is especially concerned with economically motivated adulteration (EMA). Examples include product substitutions, unapproved product enhancements, counterfeiting, stolen goods and others.