Ever since Frank Yiannas of Walmart’s Food Safety Leadership published his insightful book “Food Safety Culture” in 2008, the food and beverage industry has embraced the reality that having a strong food safety culture is essential for success. While executives and managers across the industry accept the necessity of having a strong culture, they have struggled with the best ways to measure it. We must now look at behavioral science.
When we look at what it takes to impact food safety beliefs and behaviors, many of the necessary elements already align with current food safety best practices and audit standards. The three paramount factors that impact food safety culture are: management commitment, food safety management systems, and communication and education.