One size can fit all, but not usually in food safety efforts; although it can be said in that regard, we all do wear the same "clothes." In truth, food safety guiding principles are the same for all companies, but how they are used is dependent not only on the uniqueness of the company (e.g., size, number of facilities, product line, customer mix), but also upon the biases and culture inherent to the company. The latter are often underestimated in their importance and impact.
To address these relevant topics, Food Safety Magazine recently hosted a webinar, “One Size Fits… How to Adapt your Food Safety Culture Efforts to Functional Ways of Working,” which featured the authors of this article as the panelists and moderator.1 Of special note is that the three panelists (comprising a group of experienced senior leaders from Arla Foods, Blue Apron, and Birchwood Foods) and the moderator (a food safety culture expert and change management consultant) have very different functional roles in the management of food safety. This allows a wider lens to be focused on the issues and models the very behavior most food companies are trying to achieve—i.e., everyone in the company owns food safety.