Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
ManagementCultureInternational

Regional Culture: Australia

Australia takes a uniquely collaborative approach to several aspects of food safety culture

By Lone Jespersen Ph.D., John David, Sophie Tongyu Wu Ph.D.
Australia

Image credit: da-kuk/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

April 21, 2022

Panelists Rachel Downey (Head of Food Safety and Quality, Bulla Dairy Foods), Lone Jespersen, Ph.D. (Founder and Principal, Cultivate), and Diana Pregonero, B.Sc. (ANZ Application Development Scientist, 3M Food Safety), delineated several unique features in Australia around food safety and quality: intimate collaborations across sectors and functions, "walk the talk," and skills and capacity building.

Collaboration for Cross-Functional Ownership

Rather than coming across as "dictators," regulators approach food safety as collaborators, rooting leadership in cooperation and aiming to support the local industry with international inputs, visions, and tools that work best in Australia. This global vision is the source and foundation of Australia's food safety governance. A series of organizations serves this goal, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) that ensures alignment with international standards, FSANZ that develops food standards, The Allergen Bureau that informs industry regarding allergen management, and others.

This collaboration with and support from regulators inspired Bulla Dairy Foods with their food safety culture journey. The initiative started with local dairy regulators that introduced businesses—some of which included Bulla's competitors—into a pilot program on food safety culture, using the food safety culture maturity model. Despite its initial reservations toward the initiative, Bulla Dairy eventually decided to enroll in the pilot program. To the company's amazement, it gained much knowledge on persistent issues and troubleshooting by discussing these problems with its competitors. It was encouraging for small businesses to learn that bigger enterprises struggled with the same problems.  

This network building and information sharing enhanced the industry capacity by personalizing food safety for different businesses and every function, so that food safety is not only about passing audits, but also a personal connection that each individual bears. In addition to this regulatory endeavor, government agencies are working with academia to identify best practices and improvement opportunities. As a result, industry has significant support from multiple sectors that help it stay up-to-date with food safety trends and innovations. These collaborations are fundamental for industry adaptability.  

As discussed in the Bulla Dairy Foods case above, cross-functional food safety ownership—as introduced by local regulators—serves asa basis for food safety governance intra-business. In fact, it is quite prevalent in Australia. Compared to other parts of the world, Australia tends to have a greater degree of cross-functional sharing of best practices and teamwork. Food safety ownership often goes beyond food safety and quality teams and relies on organizational learning, collaboration, and feedback. These collaborations help identify best practices, which provides a medium for people to see through each other's perspective.  

Walk the Talk  

Considerable cultural difference is present between cities and other regions, with various regional cultures being scattered across a vast and scantly populated area. Australia's regional cultures tend to be more communal and reserved. These features can be advantageous for a business in a regional culture, as the company value is based on the community value, connecting people in their thinking and perspectives. It also presents an opportunity to create alignment in a company regarding food safety culture. Family business is prevalent in regional culture, and one often works only with people that share similar views to their own. The ensuing drawback is that some regional cultures can be reluctant about "speaking out," and it is reported that Australian companies have the largest gap between what people say and what they do—specifically, in over-reporting positive behaviors and underreporting negatives ones (Figure 1).

FIGURE 1. Number of Incidents where People Overreported Positive Behaviors

Bulla Dairy Foods, for example, is a regional town and family business. It has a loyal workforce of extensive engagement among team members and within the community; people live together under one roof in the same household, and they also work together. Managing interpersonal relationships in this setting can be tricky: the person working alongside you can also be your boss. Additionally, in a small town where everyone knows everyone, speaking out means bringing attention to oneself, which is not always desirable. Yet, considering that businesses in regional areas are often smaller, they tend to be easier to change, manage, and improve.
 The recent migratory influx from city to regional areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic provides a ground for introducing city values to regional culture, reflecting upon and building culture. Bulla Dairy Foods, seizing the chance, tackled the reluctance to speak up about food safety issues and challenge food safety decisions by mapping out strengths and challenges (Figure 2), and leveraging the strengths to enhance its food safety culture.

FIGURE 2. Bulla Dairy's Strengths and Challenges in Fitting Food Safety into Company Culture

In leveraging the strengths at Bulla—the strong connection among families and to the community—company leadership not only acknowledged employee reluctance to speak out, but also utilized their native egalitarian leadership in getting organization-wide feedback and engagement. A physical suggestion box and a confidential email inbox were installed, which allowed everyone in the business (rather than the HACCP team solely) to be engaged in problem solving. Since people in some regional cultures do not like being publicly recognized, the company decided to send out private emails to the employees for monthly recognition. Most importantly, it is essential to close the feedback loop by informing the person who raised the issue what happened afterward, and if the issue had been resolved. The baseline is to align the food safety message with the existing company values (Figure 3) so that it becomes relatable and comprehensible.

FIGURE 3. Bulla Dairy's Approach to Connecting Food Safety Values to Existing Company Values

Develop Skills and Capacity

Training is the way to evolve. COVID-19 has been a catalyst for organization-wide learning in different regional areas, and industry, regulators, and academia continue to work together to probe new technologies. Within an organization, skills and capacity building should occur in each function, with the goal of building food safety ownership across all functions. For example:

  • Senior leaders manage expectations
  • Production managers build upon those expectations in the processes
  • Human resources department structures learning and recognition programs accordingly
  • Finance managers work with food safety and quality teams to integrate food safety performance into site reporting
  • Environment, health, and safety managers tackle behaviors and learning systems
  • Maintenance managers endeavor in hazard and preventive maintenance systems
  • Food safety and quality managers integrate food safety into workplace safety assessments and behavior-based safety systems.

It is no longer the old days when people do because they are "told to do." Today, businesses must lead problem solving, rather than merely solving problems. Educating employees, building cross-functional relationships, and examining how food safety fits into the existing business framework play important roles in this process.

Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., is a principal at Cultivate, an organization dedicated to helping food manufacturers globally make safe, great-tasting food through cultural effectiveness. She has significant experience with food manufacturing, having previously spent 11 years with Maple Leaf Foods. Dr. Jespersen is also a member of the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board.

John David is Global Scientific Marketing Manager at 3M. He holds a master's degree in molecular biology and genetics and a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, both from the University of Delaware.

Sophie Tongyu Wu, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Assistant at University of Central Lancashire and a member of Cultivate SA. She leads a food safety culture improvement project at ten UK food manufacturing companies to collect organization-wide feedback for targeted action. Dr. Wu holds a Ph.D. in food science and technology from Purdue University and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

KEYWORDS: Australia culture

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Lone jespersen

Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., is a published author, speaker, and the Principal and Founder of Cultivate SA, a Switzerland-based organization dedicated to eradicating foodborne illness, one culture at a time. Dr. Jespersen has worked with improving food safety through organizational culture improvements for 20 years, since she started at Maple Leaf Foods in 2004. She chaired the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) technical working group A Culture of Food Safety, chaired the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) professional development group Food Safety Culture, and was the technical author on the BSI PAS320 Practical Guide to Food Safety Culture. Dr. Jespersen holds a Ph.D. in Culture Enabled Food Safety from the University of Guelph in Canada and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Syd Dansk University in Denmark. She is a visiting Professor at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. Dr. Jespersen serves as Chair of the IFPTI board and as Director on the Stop Foodborne Illness board. She is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine and a member of the Educational Advisory Board of the Food Safety Summit.

 

John David is Global Scientific Marketing Manager at 3M. He holds a master's degree in molecular biology and genetics and a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, both from the University of Delaware.

Sophie Tongyu Wu is a Senior Research Assistant at University of Central Lancashire and a member of Cultivate SA. She leads a food safety culture improvement project at ten UK food manufacturing companies to collect organization-wide feedback for targeted action. Dr. Wu holds a Ph.D. in food science and technology from Purdue University and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Testing & Analysis
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Food Prep/Handling
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Contamination Control
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • mold
    Sponsored byIFC

    Tackling Mold Remediation in Food Processing Plants

  • a worker in a food processing plant
    Sponsored byLPS® DETEX®

    How a Beverage Facility Improved Food Safety and Compliance with Detectable Packaging Solutions

  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

Popular Stories

carton of dozen brown eggs

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Eggs Ends With One Dead, 38 Hospitalized

close-up shot of nickel metal

New EU Maximum Levels for Nickel Now Apply to Dozens of Foods

blue iced donuts next to pie of sugar with blue written in it

FDA Authorizes Use of Fourth ‘Natural’ Food Dye, Gardenia Blue

Events

July 22, 2025

Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety

Live: July 22, 2025 at 3:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn best practices for the use of digital food safety management systems across industry and regulatory agencies.

August 7, 2025

Achieve Active Managerial Control of Major Risk Factors Using a Food Safety Management System

Live: August 7, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn about changes to the FDA Food Code, which now includes a requirement for FSMS. 

May 11, 2026

The Food Safety Summit

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • planning with post-its

    Food Safety Culture Collaboration: Are Regulators Adapting and Catching Up?

    See More
  • zoom meeting

    How to Adapt Food Safety Culture Efforts to Functional Ways of Working

    See More
  • man wearing a hard hat

    Where Food Safety Systems and Culture Collide: Do You Know Your Company's Psychosocial Risks?

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781138198463.jpg

    Food Safety Management Programs: Applications, Best Practices, and Compliance

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Percept Brand Design Agency

    Percept is a creative, design and branding agency in Sydney, Australia. We're branding specialists, with a focus on strategic packaging design solutions that achieve successful outcomes.
  • Williams Recruiting Co.

    Drawing on over 25 years of national and international leadership experience, David founded the Williams Recruiting Company in order to meet the specific sales, marketing and executive recruiting needs of the food and beverage industries. Current clients include start-ups and Fortune 100 companies seeking to fill roles ranging from regional sales manager to CEO.
  • MULTIVAC Inc.

    MULTIVAC is a family-owned packaging and processing company, which operates globally with more than 80 countires with over 7,000 employees worldwide. Our US headquarters is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and is complemented by five Regional Customer Support Centers, in Denville NJ, Irvine CA, Lisle, IL, Charlotte NC, and Dallas-Fort Worth TX.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing