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Getting HACCP certification online

A HACCP certification online is a program that contains several courses and sets of training that aim to introduce the ...


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  • A HACCP certification online is a program that contains several courses and sets of training that aim to introduce the most important principles involved in the HACCP making and implementation process.
  • Online HACCP certification programs offer advantages over traditional seminars such as accessibility, cost reduction, and flexibility.
  • Digital solutions have paved the way to making the HACCP certification process easier.

In this age of technology and globalization, information has become widely available to everyone. These factors have also brought far-reaching goals closer. This is also true in the food industry. To make the principles of managing food safety hazards even more accessible in the food supply chain, you can now get a HACCP certification online. Such programs help increase the progressiveness of stoping the alarming statistics of food safety issues worldwide.

As a food business owner, one of your responsibilities is to educate your staff about the concerns revolving around food hazards as protection for customers and to improve business performance. Everyone in a food service facility must know the importance of keeping food safety controlled to process products that are safe for customers. Foodborne illness is a major public health issue that can severely affect your business in terms of profit and operations. As such, it is to your advantage that basic and advanced courses on HACCP certification are available online.

Learn which ones are rated the best and how this type of certification can help your food business establish adequate controls for food safety. 

 

online haccp certification

 

What is a HACCP certification online?

A HACCP certification is a program that provides your food business with an important document proving that you follow the principles of the HACCP food safety program and prioritize the safety of your consumers. An online HACCP certification includes a food handler safety training course and examination that aim to impart information about the dangers of potential hazards during food handling, prerequisite programs, and how to control them. These programs emphasize HACCP as an internationally recognized risk-based system to control food safety hazards.

Food handler training or food manager certification programs provide information on proper food handling techniques, safe food processes, and how to have a functional food safety management system. Such programs provide a printable certificate that serves as a proof of completion document from an internationally recognized program for basic food safety training.

In addition, this tells your customers that you are a qualified food business that serves safe food. This online HACCP certification for food handlers helps build a robust food safety culture for the industry and produces a more effective food service employee for your food business.

Most HACCP certification online consists of several learning modules that may highlight the following information:

  • Basic principles of food safety practices, employee health, and hygiene
  • Basic food safety issues (e.g. signs of food spoilage, types of food prep contamination, food contact materials contamination that can cause customer illness)
  • Food safety hazards
  • Proper food preparation principles such as proper temperature control methods
  • Proper food facility design and facility construction
  • Importance of hazard analyses and identification
  • Hazard control procedures
  • Principles of HACCP
  • Critical control points and critical limits
  • Importance of food defense plan
  • Food safety laws
  • Prerequisite course requirements
  • Safe food sanitation practices
  • Preliminary activities in building a HACCP food safety plan
  • Implementation of HACCP


These online programs aim to teach participants the significance of procedures for food safety and then test their knowledge at the end of the program. To gain an official certificate of recognition, participants must pass the exams after the whole course to test knowledge retention. The questions are designed to test the participant's performance.

Some food safety manager certification programs for HACCP offer practical advice and let you practice the principles of the HACCP food safety program. The appeal of certification to customers, the regulatory community, and any health authority significantly play in your favor.

After undergoing HACCP certification training courses, food safety managers are expected to have extensive knowledge of the principles of HACCP, prerequisite processes, conducting operational implementation activities, and continuous improvement activities for successful food service.

 

food safety plan builder

 

Why get HACCP certification online?

HACCP certification can be daunting, and it may seem like a good idea to hire food management professionals and have them help you prepare your documentation to get your business HACCP certified. Food safety consultants are experts when it comes to the HACCP food safety program and food safety assurance. They can even be hired to help you implement the actual food safety management system in your food business. However, online solutions to HACCP certification offer a lot of benefits when compared with hiring food management professionals.


Here are some advantages you can get when you use online HACCP certification programs for food safety:


  • Cost. You get to spend significantly less. Hiring a consultant or an internal auditor can be very expensive, and having a consultant does not significantly promote independence and confidence in your HACCP learnings. By using online tools such as FoodDocs, you can cut the cost dramatically that you spend on HACCP certification.
  • Accessibility. Online HACCP certification programs also offer the benefit of convenience. No need to send a representative to a convention or seminar to get the information you need on how to implement a HACCP plan. An online training program is usually a key component of such certification systems. Being able to have access to these programs enables everyone at your food establishment to become eligible to gain equal knowledge about HACCP.
  • Flexibility. Some HACCP food handler safety training and certification online require more than 10 hours to be completed. The good thing when you use online solutions is that you can stop at any time of the program and resume at your most convenient time. As long as you finish the courses and take the exam to test knowledge retention, you will get the certificate. In addition, online HACCP certification programs do not require you to go to other places just to hear the lectures. You can gain certification at the comfort of your home.
  • Digital documents. HACCP online certification programs allow you to take home most of its modules and let you share the information with the other team members of your food business. This method gives you the chance to easily discuss what you learned in the program while not accumulating tons of documents.
  • Save time cost.  By opting to go digital with your HACCP certification planning, you also save yourself a huge amount of time. If you go to a food safety consultant or an auditor, you will have to fit into their schedule and wait for them to provide you with all of the required documentation. By going online you can save days, if not weeks by having access to all of your documentation whenever you need it.


Online solutions offer several advantages over physical programs. Implementing your HACCP plan can also be digitalized by using FoodDocs. Our HACCP plan builder lets you make a food safety management system that is tailored to the nature of your operations. It is also possible for you to update your HACCP certification documentation at any time when you manage it online for continual growth.

If you need to update your documentation due to local regulatory requirements and changes, you can do it immediately and know that your documentation is in order. This is also applicable if you are undergoing auditing activities for your HACCP certification and the auditor informs you of changes that need to be made.



objekt-pilveke
ONLINE

  • Affordable
  • Saves time
  • Organized
  • Easy to manage
  • Digital Storage

objekt-pilveke2
OFFLINE

  • Expensive
  • Takes too long
  • Disorganized
  • Difficult to manage
  • Paper documents



What are the possibilities to get HACCP certification online?

HACCP certification online is a huge benefit to your company. However, it can be difficult to find the correct resources you need to get HACCP certified online if you don't know exactly what you are looking for. Different company websites offer different approaches to HACCP certification modules. Some general information, especially the principles of HACCP, will always be available. Despite this, some programs will have more information for you than others and prepare you for any audit in advance.

You always have to read the overview of your chosen HACCP certification online company to know if it contains the information you need. In addition, these programs come at a wide range of prices so pick one that fits your budget. Always check whether the HACCP food safety training and courses are accredited by internationally acclaimed food safety management bodies to know if the certificate will be acknowledged well.

Many companies are offering HACCP training courses online. In combination with a good online HACCP certification program, having an online solution that provides the necessary tools to create, maintain, and update your HACCP documentation when local regulations are changing is extremely helpful.

 

How to get HACCP certification online?

To achieve a HACCP certification online, you or a representative must first choose a company offering training courses.

Choosing one will depend on reasons such as:

  • Cost
  • Topics covered
  • Accessibility
  • Recognition from international accrediting bodies


Upon choosing which HACCP certification online website to train with, you will sign-up for registration. The common registration procedures include asking you basic questions such as your name, business title, food business name, location, and the level of training you prefer. After registration, you are expected to receive an email with instructions on how to access the portal for the training modules and the food safety exam.

Most HACCP certification programs online give you at least 30 days to finish the whole program which will only take an estimated time of 10-16 hours depending on the level of the program. As mentioned, you can stop with the lectures anytime you want and then come back whenever you want as long as you are still within the 30 days. Within the lecture, you will be taught the principles of HACCP and how to apply them to a food business with actual examples. 

After finishing all the prepared training programs, the participant will be required to take a test. This step aims to gauge the level of understanding you gained during the program. You will then be allowed to print your certification upon passing. Failure to complete the program in the prescribed time will require you to register again and take the program all over. 

 

Three companies that offer online HACCP certification 

Choosing a training provider will take a good amount of your time to see which among them fits your budget and training requirements. Most, if not all, food safety certification and license providers teach the components of a HACCP-based food safety system, but some programs will have more. Here are three companies that offer online HACCP certification that have good ratings online and the topics they cover.

1. Food Safety HACCP for Retail Food Establishments (360training.com)

  • Rating 4.8/5.0
  • Credit Hours: 16 hours
  • Structure: Can be done at your own pace
  • Cost: $125.00

This certification provider covers topics on how to apply Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. It includes topics on the preliminary tasks, principles, and concepts of a HACCP plan, how to identify chemical hazards, biological hazards, and physical hazards, basic food and personnel hygiene practices, and the implementation of HACCP in your food manufacturing facility. The topics covered in this program are constantly updated and currently have 16 lectures under a single subscription. The program also strives to teach active managerial control for employees of food facilities in performing food safety controls against foodborne illnesses and injuries to promote safety in food establishments.

The food safety training course is a state-approved HACCP food safety training. It is based on the requirements of the United States FDA code and the USDA for the implementation of HACCP in the seafood industry, dairy, beverage industry, and most kinds of foodservice facilities. Your certificate of completion will be given to you once you pass at least 75% of the food safety examination.

2. HACCP for processors and manufacturers (haccptraining.org)

  • Rating 4.3/5.0
  • Credit Hours: 16 hours
  • Structure: Can be done at your own pace
  • Cost: $219.99

This HACCP certification online program is intended for management positions, operations, frontline food safety personnel, food warehouse staff, and the whole HACCP team. This program is self-paced, meaning it can be done anytime you want within the allotted period of your program. It is composed of 11 lectures with an approximate completing time of 1 hour of content per lecture. It satisfies the regulatory requirement of compliance for the recognition of the International HACCP Alliance and highlights a preventive approach to food safety. It also provides information on how to meet food legislation from government agencies and any health authority, and how to apply a HACCP plan. 

In addition to the learning programs on HACCP plan-making, the program also includes manuals on how to write relevant Standard Operating Procedures for a safe facility as part of your HACCP plan for mandatory certification requirements. Upon successful completion of the exam, your certificate of completion will be available for download and are expected to receive a HACCP alliance Seal via mail after a few business days.

3. Online HACCP training (NC State University)

  • Rating 4.4/5.0
  • Credit Hours: 16 hours
  • Structure: available on-demand and can be done at your own pace
  • Cost: 1$195.00

With a higher required successful completion score of at least 80%, this program focuses on the required key knowledge for the implementation and management of the HACCP food safety system based on the FDA standards. The program is internationally recognized. It has 14 main lectures that highlight hazard identification and how to control hazards to levels that are safe for human consumption with a final exam at the end. Each section of the program requires you to answer short quizzes to test your understanding of the course. Similarly, a certificate of completion will be provided to the participant as recognition from the International HACCP Alliance.

There are other several companies offering courses for online certifications that aim to teach food business owners how to implement a HACCP-based food safety management system. Take your time browsing them and select which one has the most features that suit your business nature well.

In addition to a certification program, your business will also highly benefit from an online solution such as FoodDocs. Our system features built-in software that can help you get your HACCP food safety plan documents done in just 1 hour.

 

haccp online certification learning

 

Is online HACCP certification cheaper?

To make a comprehensive HACCP food safety plan with the appropriate level of protection and then implement it, one of your team members must have certification from a HACCP training program. An alternative to this is to hire a food safety consultant. These food safety experts normally charge from a range of $150 to $1000 per hour depending on their level of experience and the extensiveness of the consultation. HACCP certification online courses cost way cheaper than hiring a food safety consultant with some programs going for as low as $120.00 for the whole certification process.

Recent innovations have taken online solutions to the next level. Most online HACCP certification programs will only hand you copies of the lecture proper as well as some important documents related to food safety and the HACCP food system. After this, you are on your own and are expected to implement your HACCP plan with the knowledge you gained.
What if we told you there is a better way to implement your HACCP plan?

At FoodDocs, we can get your HACCP plan done in just 1 hour and even help you along your implementation process. You do not need any prior knowledge on how to make a HACCP plan because all you need to do is to answer a few questions about the nature of your business. We get documents such as food safety hazard identification, detailed control measures, the establishment of critical control points, critical control limits, establishing any corrective action, monitoring steps, verification activities, and recordkeeping and documentation steps done for you.

getting haccp certification online

How can FoodDocs help me?

FoodDocs is the perfect solution for anyone looking to gain their HACCP certification online, and keep all of their documentation up to date, and ready for auditing. With a range of features, FoodDocs provides different ways for you to save time and money when you are managing food safety hazards and working to become HACCP certified.

Rather than spending a huge amount of time and money on a food safety consultant, FoodDocs can help you to design a HACCP plan tailored to your company's specific needs and local requirements in just an hour. By filling in a questionnaire, and adding your flow chart, layout, and location plan, FoodDocs' intuitive AI will build a plan catered to your needs. Once you go through it and customize anything you want you are ready to go! Impress any external auditor by providing all the complete auditor requirements on time.
 

In addition, our FoodDocs app can help you monitor any tasks that need to be completed, check what monitoring sheets have been filled in, and monitor your own HACCP external audit or even an internal audit on time with our notification features. All of your food safety documentation will become centralized and stored in cloud storage, allowing you to save space and become more sustainable.

Preparing for your HACCP certification online is a great way to save money, and time, and stay organized.

 

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