The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has published an updated version of its position paper, A Culture of Food Safety, which presents an evidence-based framework to guide organisations in strengthening food safety.
Version 2.0 of the paper was unveiled at the GFSI’s annual conference, which took place in Vancouver, Canada, this week. Incorporating insights from more than 180 academic and industry sources, it builds on a previous edition of the paper, which was published in 2018.
‘A critical determinant’
“Food safety culture is a critical determinant of food safety outcomes – and strong food safety cultures are built through shared values, consistent behaviours and a deep awareness of risk,” commented Elizabeth Andoh-Kesson, interim director of the GFSI.
“Too often, food safety is only high on the agenda when there is a crisis, which has to change. In an increasingly complex food system, food safety should go beyond formal regulations to live within the culture of an organisation.”
The updated paper espouses a dual-layered approach to food safety, identifying both ‘Organisational Foundations’, the leadership and values that form an organisation’s DNA, and ‘Manifested Practices’, the visible, daily behaviours that ensure food stays safe from farm to fork.
Alignment of these two tiers can enable businesses to move from compliance to a culture of continuous improvement, it notes.
Shared values
The paper reinforces the GFSI’s central position: that food safety culture is ‘not merely the product of leadership or training, but an integration of shared values, behaviours, risk awareness and organisational learning’.
It also provides recommendations for industry, regulators, and certification bodies, encouraging the adoption of an integrated systems-and-culture approach that recognises both formal controls and organisational behaviours as critical to food safety performance; advising use of the five-dimension framework as a common reference point when designing standards, training programmes and assurance activities; recommending that firms assess food safety culture across multiple dimensions; and calling for strengthened research on less-explored areas, particularly consistency and organisational adaptability.
The GFSI Conference took place in Vancouver from 24 to 26 March, welcoming more than 600 food safety professionals, and hosting presentations from industry leaders at Mondelēz International, McCain Foods, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Kroger, Costco, Mars Petcare and other firms. The Global Food Safety Initiative is powered by The Consumer Goods Forum. Read more here.
