Answering the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Food Safety Culture
There are so many rules and regulations surrounding food safety that make compliance complicated. Even more difficult to understand is food safety culture, an invisible yet powerful force impacting your company’s attitudes toward compliance.
Our experts have been asked everything about improving the food safety culture of an organization. Below are their answers to some of the most common food safety culture questions we hear:
Answers from our Experts
Should you use questionnaires to take a measurement of food safety culture?
You can quickly examine your company using a food safety culture assessment that shows how much importance each department assigns to food safety. However, this kind of questionnaire will only assist in identifying general food safety concerns.
Completing a detailed food safety obstacle assessment and gauging the maturity of the food safety culture is the only way to identify hardened food safety beliefs. Most of the time, hardened food safety beliefs are driven by the “invisible” culture in an organization, and if not corrected, they can create major issues.
What are the best methods to implement a food safety culture within a small, diverse, and seasonal team?
An effective communication plan is crucial to ensure a positive food safety culture. It's important to understand the native cultural values of each team member’s country of origin. Comprehending their values and why they are important will make it easier to communicate your food safety culture in terms that will assimilate.
The key to developing a food safety communication plan lies in the effective identification and thoughtful infusion of these diverse cultural values in your communication plan. Let your employees share the values they find applicable to upholding your organization's food safety standards. For example, employees coming from countries where righteousness is considered a key aspect of their culture might choose to uphold food safety standards because doing things the right way is already instinctual.
Is there a template for implementing a food safety culture program?
Developing a food safety culture is a complex process, and it won’t look the same across facilities. AIB International created a framework for food safety culture planning and development that includes a food safety obstacle assessment, as well as a model maturity assessment, to ensure you stay on track as you make adjustments to your food safety culture.
Resources to Continue Enhancing Food Safety Culture
If the thought of altering your facility’s food safety culture seems overwhelming, know that you have a partner in AIB International. Our resources take the intricacies of food safety culture and break them down into easy to understand courses, checklists, and more.
Access a few of AIB International’s Food Safety Culture Planning resources below:
