What is  HACCP And VACCP In Food Safety Management System?
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Ensuring food safety and authenticity in the current food industry has grown more difficult in today’s day and age and requires strong management systems. The two most important frameworks are Vulnerability Assessment And Critical Control Points (VACCP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). Both safety and purity are needed by consumers and these systems are created to solve different problems. The earlier and more established system, HACCP, focuses on avoiding safety hazards and inadvertent contamination. On the other hand, growing worries about food fraud and commercially driven adulteration led to the development of VACCP. Professionals in the food sector must comprehend the distinctions between these systems.

The Main Focus

Hazards to food safety that may arise accidentally during food processing are the main focus of HACCP. It has been established with the objective of identifying possible biological, chemical, and physical hazards that may make food unsuitable for human consumption. To prevent, remove, or limit these risks to acceptable levels, the system creates important control points. VACCP, on the other hand, focuses on food fraud and adulteration with financial motivations. It focuses on locating supply chain weaknesses, such as ingredient substitution, mislabelling, or counterfeit goods, where food items may be purposefully tampered with for financial benefit.

Strategy And Implementation

The implementation strategies for HACCP and VACCP are very different. Hazard analysis, critical control point identification, critical limit establishment, monitoring protocols, corrective actions, verification procedures, and documentation are all part of the seven-principle system that is HACCP. The main components of this system are facility-based controls and production processes. However, VACCP is a more extended concept based on the possible fraud risks found in the entire supply chain. In this respect, it involves historical events, economic factors, the testing processes, and relations with suppliers, to identify fraud risk areas.

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Risk Assessment

The probability and seriousness of accidental contamination or safety threats are the main topics of HACCP's risk assessment. Some of the factors considered are the nature of the raw material, the condition at which processing will be done, and other likely locations of contamination. Normally, the evaluation should be based on existing guidelines regarding food safety and relevant research findings. However, according to economic factors, VACCP's risk assessment probes into the possibility and likelihood of deliberate adulteration or fraud. It takes into account elements including component value, supply chain complexity, ease of adulteration, and past fraud instances in comparable products.

Control Measures And Monitoring

Temperature, time, pH, and other measurable variables that may be tracked and managed throughout production are the main emphasis of HACCP's process-based control measures. All these steps are basically taken with the aim to minimise or even eliminate risks to food safety. However, supply chain management techniques including supplier verification programs, authenticity testing, and traceability systems are frequently incorporated into VACCP control mechanisms. These steps are designed to prevent or detect fraud before the product is delivered to the user.

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Documentation And Verification

Although they have different priorities, both systems need a lot of documentation. Monitoring logs, deviation reports, and verification procedures pertaining to critical control points are the main topics of HACCP documentation. These documents demonstrate that the approaches used in the food safety system are as effective as designed. Data from market surveillance, authenticity test findings, and supplier evaluations are all included in VACCP documentation. To guarantee the efficacy of fraud prevention measures, the VACCP verification procedure frequently calls for more complex testing techniques and supply chain audits.

There are several benefits that firms in the food industry that improve both frameworks; firstly, enhances the general safety standards of the organisations, secondly, it safeguards clients from various hazards, and lastly, it maintains the consumer’s trust in their products.