A strong culture of food safety involves a commitment from everyone within an organization, from CEO to shop floor operator, to uphold food safety standards. This includes paying close attention to hygiene, cleanliness and adherence to established food safety regulations and guidelines, such as the Commission Regulation 2021/382 and the new PAS 320:2023 standard.
What is food safety culture?
Food safety culture refers to the ‘shared values, beliefs and norms that affect mindset and behaviour towards food safety in, across and throughout an organisation’.
Food safety culture improvement demands that the organization must have a well-defined strategy that outlines what will happen, who will take on leadership roles, how new skills will be acquired, and most crucially, how everyone will be involved on a daily basis.
Why is food safety culture important?
Developing and maintaining a mature food safety culture has a direct impact on consumer health, industry reputation, and regulatory compliance. Commission Regulation 2021/382, which legally mandates that an FBO must provide evidence of a food safety culture, places greater expectation on the organization and its leadership team.
Building a strong food safety culture
Establishing best practice food safety culture within your organisation requires;
- Training & education
- Leadership commitment
- Continuous improvement
- Effective communication
- Employee involvement
Interested in finding out more? Register for the Food Safety Culture webinar June 21st 2024. This session will provide an overview of the requirements and stages for developing a mature food safety culture within your organization, helping ensure compliance with current legislation and industry standards.
For more information on Food Safety Programmes visit https://www.sqt-training.com/programmecats/food-safety/