Product defence training endorsed by Professor Chris Elliott PhD, FRSC, FRSB, MRIA, OBE
Professor Chris Elliott has kindly reviewed our product defence training and provided us with feedback.
You can read more about Chris here.
Supervisory and management level – product defence training
Professor Chris Elliott assessed the product defence super course, which contains the following:
- Understanding product defence.
- Managing the product defence system.
- Identifying vulnerabilities upsteam.
- Identifying internal vulnerabilities.
- Identifying vulnerabilities downstream.
- Assessing and protecting vulnerable threats.
The above mini trainings have also been used to create the following role-based trainings:
So what did Chris think of our product defence training?
We asked Chris a few questions about our product defence training, and here’s what he said…
Based on what you know of us as a business, how would you describe Techni-K?
I have been familiar with the work of Techni-K for around 8 years. They have striven to be the best in market to deliver valuable training and learning tools for UK food businesses across a wide variety of areas that are needed by the industry. Techni-K is a highly professional company and all the material that I have read has been of the highest possible quality and indeed of great support to their customer base.
How well do you think that the course explains this subject?
Having reviewed all the course material in depth I have found it to be an extremely well designed course. While it goes into substantial levels of details there are plenty of explanations and definitions to help guide the reader through the entire course.
The structure is clear, the layout and graphic design used are extremely helpful in terms of keeping the interest of the reader. The questions that appear at regular intervals serve as an extremely good ‘check list’ to ensure the material studied so far has been understood.
Is the level of learning relevant to the specified role?
Yes. The course is detailed but the contents has been extremely well selected to ensure the learning required has been included.
What are your thoughts on the assessment questions?
The questions included in the assessment are directly linked to the required learning outcomes of the course. The questions are well written and clear to understand providing the course material has been understood.
What do you think of the quality of the training materials (interactive video and lesson guide)?
The quality is of a very high standard. Course participants are guided through the material in an easy to follow and clear manner.
How does this course compare to other similar courses that you’re aware of?
While I am not an expert in all courses offered on the marketplace, the material on offer from Techni-K is of a very high quality and I’m not aware of anything that is superior.
Are there any aspects of the course that you would see as best practice?
The course is a very good guideline to what product defence means in terms of fraud & sabotage. There are some Interesting views on VACCP & TACCP terminology and that the assessments for fraud, sabotage and terrorism should sit under one heading i.e. a product defence plan. I agree with this structure as it causes less confusion.
How does this course add value to the industry?
In my opinion the course is an excellent one for the industry. The need for product defence plans are becoming increasingly important in terms of having a plan in place that is fit for purpose in the eyes of business customers and to protect the company from the mounting risks coming from external and internal sources.
What would you improve?
There are quite a few mentions of supply chain mapping and horizon scanning. These are both essential items in terms of building defence plans. I suggest having more information on how both can be achieved and supply key links to where more information can be found.
Is there anything that’s missing?
The only area I didn’t notice being mentioned is document fraud. The provision of false documents is an important area where businesses need advice on how to identify them.
Are there any aspects of the course that are not pitched at the right level?
No. The right level of information is included.
Are there any aspects of the course that are confusing or misleading?
No, I didn’t find any areas that I thought were misleading or confused.
Meet Professor Chris Elliott, PhD, FRSC, FRSB, MRIA, OBE
Chris Elliott has studied and researched food safety and fraud for over 30 years. He has published more than 500 peer review articles relating to the detection and control of agriculture, food, and environmental related contaminants.
Protecting the integrity of the food supply chain from fraud is a key research topic and Chris led the independent review of Britain’s food system following the 2013 horsemeat scandal. He is a co-founder of the UK Food Industry Intelligence Network and has served as a non-executive director since its inception in 2015.
He acts as a scientific advisor for many food companies, non-governmental and governmental agencies in the areas of food safety, food fraud and food systems resilience.