A course focussed on the food supply chain and the issues its facing, ‘Exploring Food Vulnerability’, is set to held at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) this month.

The course will be delivered at the college’s Loughry campus on Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 30.

The half-day programme will provide attendees with information on Threat Assessment Critical Control Point (TACCP), Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Point (VACCP) and Food Defence.

CAFRE said the course will benefit delegates across the entire range of roles within a food organisation including technical, engineering, manufacturing and management. This, it said, will help them ensure their products are manufactured to the highest standard.

“The safety of food is understandably the main concern of the food industry,” CAFRE said.

“The development of food management systems has resulted in fewer major outbreaks of food poisoning on a worldwide scale,” it said.

“However, our food supply chains have been, and continue to have potential to be the target of deliberate acts of attack. 

“Major food scares focus the attention of standards, manufacturers, retailers, enforcers and consumers on the defence of our food supply.”

CAFRE said the food industry now has an obligation to ensure that supply chain protection method are robust and effective, to protect both the raw materials, the final products and ultimately the safety of the end users – the consumers.