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In this Food Safety Insights column, we continue to explore processors' near-term priorities for food safety programs, as well as the regulations and issues they are watching that will have the most impact on their programs in the future. Food safety culture, microbiological control (including environmental monitoring), and sanitation and hygiene are three of processors' indicated top priorities for the near term.

This article explores the intricate relationship between food safety culture and EU regulation while shedding light on its enforcement, the legislative framework, and implementation within the industry. It also explores how technology and data-driven approaches can play a vital role in promoting a positive food safety culture, and how industry best practices complement EU regulation.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Darin Detwiler, LP.D., M.A.Ed., who is a food safety academic, advisor, advocate, and author with a 30-year history of working to control foodborne illness. Dr. Detwiler discusses the U.S. food safety system as portrayed in the 2023 Netflix documentary Poisoned, in which he is prominently featured. Additionally, Bob Ferguson discusses his latest Food Safety Insights column on food processors’ post-pandemic priorities and challenges.

Food safety culture is about people. Food companies that do this well empower all employees across the entire business to take appropriate action to ensure that the final product is safe. The ultimate goal is to ensure that all employees do the right things all the time—even when no one is looking.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Kris de Smet, D.V.M., Head of the Food Hygiene Team under the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety at the European Commission. Dr. de Smet discusses his work with the European Commission and Codex Alimentarius in areas such as Salmonella mitigation, foodborne illness outbreak preparedness and management, and food safety culture improvement and measurement.

The 2023 fall cohort for Catalyst LLC’s Technical Leader Bootcamp begins on September 12. Over 14 weeks, the online bootcamp will provide curriculum, coaching, and community to help technical food industry professionals plan, coordinate, and intentionally create a path of success.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by an FDA official, a county-level environmental health regulator, and a retail food industry association representative to discuss the research and application of behavioral science with food employees and regulatory agencies to reduce foodborne illness risk factors at smaller retail foodservice businesses. 

Risk culture is a construct in which the organization's values, beliefs, and behaviors influence actions relative to how it responds to risks. By reducing complexity across the organization's functions and processes, the different types of risk can be assessed and managed by a single, powerful approach so that the risk culture is more mature.

A simple review of organizational structures shows that food safety teams report to different functions across food companies, but what structure provides the best opportunity for success of the food safety team, and what are the measures of success? Identifying the structure that sets up the food safety team to drive daily compliance and upgrade existing programs is key. This article examines current organizational structures and evaluates the pros and cons of each.

On June 27–28 in Chicago, Illinois, national and international nut industry leaders convened for the Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association’s (PTNPA) annual Operations and Technical Food Safety Summit.