What is HACCP training?

• A HACCP training is a type of learning program that aims to educate food safety managers and related handlers about the significance of HACCP as well as its implementation.
• HACCP training programs can be conducted and availed as in-person services or online courses.
• HACCP training programs ensure that employees know about HACCP and prevent food safety hazards from causing food safety concerns such as foodborne illness outbreaks.

The food industry is also a place for learning. Not all food safety personnel were hired as professionals. Some start as a regular enthusiastic employee who is curious about food service. Knowledge about food safety can be gained and improved over time. In fact, several food companies and food agencies offer training programs for those who are interested.

Perhaps one of the most important training programs that a food handler could take is the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) training. So, what is HACCP training?

To increase the knowledge of people all over the food industry, several initiatives have been launched to conduct HACCP training programs. These programs are conducted by food safety experts who have extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of the HACCP program. They are widely available everywhere and can even be accessed from the comfort of your home or office.

In this article learn about the most important details about HACCP training programs.

What is HACCP training?

The types of HACCP training available vary depending on your industry type, your company size, and your location. You will also be able to find a wealth of available HACCP training online, as well as online HACCP training certification. These training programs can be comprehensive enough to include steps on how to successfully implement a HACCP plan or introduce these sections in a segmented approach. 

In the US, the food agency Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food companies dealing with juice and seafood to establish their respective HACCP plans. All other food establishments are subject to the regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are required to establish a risk-based plan. Learn more about HARPC here.

Seafood HACCP training

Concerning the requirement of the FDA to establish a HACCP plan for the seafood industry, certification companies offer training courses for seafood HACCP training. Most programs are structured similarly to other HACCP training courses but move toward topics related to seafood handling. This includes hazard identification in the seafood industry and provisions that explain the exemptions of seafood handlers under the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA) related to their HACCP rules. Online seafood HACCP training courses that are accredited by the National Seafood Alliance are also widely available and contain necessary training courses for seafood HACCP learning.

Juice HACCP training

This type of training program is for food handlers, manufacturers, and business owners who are dealing with any product labeled as 100% juice as per the directives of the FDA. One of the most noted juice HACCP training was developed by the Juice HACCP Alliance. This training program consists of manuals that highlight the fundamentals of HACCP as a food safety program and how it is applied in the juice industry.

Why is HACCP food safety training important?

Where can you get HACCP training?

HACCP training programs can be conducted in person or through online platforms. In-person HACCP training has been the standard setting for most HACCP training professionals. Despite this, as the food industry moves toward a more technology-driven space, online platforms of HACCP professionals have started to offer online courses.

HACCP training in-person

In-person HACCP training can be extremely beneficial to your company. This type of HACCP training can either be conducted through a symposium where different company representatives participate or through personal and on-site HACCP training at your premises. Having a trained professional come in to train your team, while providing extra tips and tricks from experience can help make sure your staff is fully trained, and your business is run safely.

Here are some of the pros of in-person HACCP training:

• You get to ask questions. This is a point that is often overlooked, but the possibility to ask questions in person, and get answers in real-time is extremely helpful. Some individuals may need further clarification on particular topics. This type of program can also become an avenue to raise HACCP-related inquires that are specific to your food business. 
• Demonstrations. When training online, it can be difficult to envision carrying out your tasks in the workplace. By having a trained professional train you in your premises, they can show you exactly what tasks need to be performed, as well as how to do them in your environment.

In-person HACCP training programs are very much available anywhere. Simply search “HACCP training near me” in your internet browser, and the search will return any companies that offer HACCP training in your locality.

HACCP training online

As HACCP is an internationally recognized food safety management system, you will be able to find HACCP training all across the globe. Especially with circumstances such as having a global pandemic when movement and face-to-face negotiations are limited, online HACCP training programs are more convenient.

Online training has become the norm for many people in the modern world, and HACCP training is no different. There are plenty of HACCP training options, and HACCP training materials available online.

Here are some of the pros of online HACCP training courses:

• Specific training. With such a wide variety of business and industry types around the world, online HACCP courses are an excellent option when looking for training specifically for your business. For example, if you are a juice manufacturer, it may be difficult to find juice HACCP training in person nearby, so going online will be of huge help.
• Move at your own pace. Most online HACCP training courses can be performed within a given period. During this time, you can pause the courses or take them later whenever something comes up. You can easily continue where you left off as long as you are still within the time limit. 
• The convenience of location. Perhaps the most obvious advantage of online HACCP training is that there is no need for you to attend the training on-site. You can finish the courses at the convenience of your home or even in between breaks at the office.

Whether it is online or in-person HACCP training, the important thing is that you must transact with certified training coordinators. This will ensure that the information you will be getting is up-to-date and accurate.

How to choose the right HACCP training provider?

When we say that there are a lot of available HACCP training programs for in-person and online courses, we mean it. As such, to save you some time, you have to consider some factors to trim down your choices. Here are some points that you can consider when choosing a HACCP training provider:

• Cost.  By attending training courses in person, or having a food safety professional come to you for HACCP training can be very expensive. In general, it is much more cost-effective to run your HACCP training online, and you can also find some HACCP training online free.
• Time. Another benefit of doing HACCP training online is the convenience of scheduling it for yourself and your staff at a time suitable. This may be more helpful than organizing a time for all of your staff to receive HACCP training.
• Training coverage. Information about the HACCP training program you are trying to enroll in will always be available. Carefully browse through their catalogs and check whether everything that you need or expect to learn is within their syllabus.
• Professional associations. Not all HACCP training programs are created equal. This is especially true when it comes to the affiliation of the training providers. Some HACCP training programs are accredited by internationally recognized associations such as the GFSI.

There are plenty of other factors that you can consider before enrolling in a training program. To be sure, you can consult with their customer service representatives or email them directly.

How much does HACCP training cost?

The cost of your HACCP training varies depending on several factors. Whether you are hoping for training online or in person, what type of food industry you are in, the number of representatives you have, and others are all factors that come into play when calculating the cost of your training. You will be able to find some HACCP training online free, as well as free HACCP training materials.

This is always a good place to start, as it will help you gain some insight into the HACCP training process, and it could help you choose what type of HACCP training you would like to purchase. When paying for your HACCP training, you can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $1000 per course. For a food consultant to run your training in person, this too can vary but you can always expect to pay beyond $400 per day.

You also need to take into account the amount of staff you are training. Sometimes you will pay per user, so in this case, it can end up costing a lot when you add it up. It is always worth checking if you are paying for full access to a course or just for one person from your team. Some HACCP training programs offer package deals that include training sets for more than just one representative.

One piece of advice to keep in mind is whether you are looking for online HACCP training or in-person training, you should always shop around to find the best fit for your business. There are more than likely multiple options for your training at different price points.

Digital solution to your HACCP plan-making process

Sometimes, even if you have a well-trained employee in terms of the HACCP principles, you would still prefer that a food safety consultant would come in to help. We don't blame you, especially if your employee has no first-hand experience in the implementation process.

A consultant would most probably be more well-versed and could anticipate more uncertain possibilities. Despite this, purchasing the services of a food consultant on top of the HACCP training you just availed of could be very costly for your food business.

What if we told you that there is an easier way to get HACCP compliant without the need to hire a food safety consultant but you will still get the same professional results, only faster. At FoodDocs, our team of food safety experts has come up with a built-in HACCP plan builder software that automatically creates a comprehensive digital HACCP plan for you in just 1 hour! 

Our system creates a comprehensive HACCP plan based on your answers to our basic questions. These questions are about the nature of your business. After a few clicks, our HACCP plan builder will automatically generate one for you.

In this HACCP plan, you will get the following:

• Accurately identified and analyzed a list of food safety hazards in your food business.
• Appropriate preventive controls for each hazard
• Automated monitoring programs and forms
• Corrective actions for each hazard
• Management system specific for your business
• A digital monitoring system that gives you a real-time progress record of your food safety procedures. This can either be accessed through our real-time dashboard in your FoodDocs HACCP plan page or through our mobile app.
• By downloading our mobile application, you will also gain access to automatic notifications for daily tasks and any breaches in critical limits.
• You also get easy access and a shareable plan which you can send to your food safety inspector anytime for reviewing during a certification.

By availing of our HACCP plan builder services, you can save up to 500x more time when compared with hiring a food safety consultant. In addition, our services are 15x cheaper without compromising on the quality of your plan.

The comprehensive HACCP plan we will provide you covers all main food safety laws, standards, and regulations internationally and even within your location. This HACCP plan is also completely customizable for your food business's specific operations. You can also download and print this plan as a hard copy for compliance requirements.

At FoodDocs, we help you create your own comprehensive digital HACCP plan in just 1 hour and guide you through its implementation. The benefits of using our built-in digital HACCP plan builder can address all of your significant requirements when it comes to HACCP compliance.