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n light of the new EU regulation requiring food businesses to establish, evaluate, and maintain a food safety culture (FSC), a recent study aimed to gage food safety perceptions and FSCs at mid-sized Italian food operations.

Part of Food Safety Magazine’s series with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), titled, “Evolution of New Era: Advancing Strategies for Smarter Food Safety,” this episode of Food Safety Matters brought together an FDA Senior Scientist from CFSAN and the Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness to discuss food safety culture, including its assessment and the FDA/Stop Foodborne Illness topical webinar series.

The 2023 Food Safety Summit keynote presentation focused on a conversation with food industry executives on the topic of balancing risks for the safety of consumers, team members, and the environment. 

New global guidance from BSI—developed through consensus with industry leaders including Walmart, McDonald's, Kerry Foods, and 3M—aims to assist food businesses and employees in developing a robust food safety culture.

Part of Food Safety Magazine’s series with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), titled, “Evolution of a New Era: Advancing Strategies for Smarter Food Safety,” this episode of Food Safety Matters discusses the research and application of behavior sciences with retail foodservice employees and regulatory agencies that help reduce foodborne illness risk factors.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk with Donald A. Prater, D.V.M., the Acting Director of the Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Associate Commissioner for Imported Food Safety at OFPR. Dr. Prater discusses the work he has overseen regarding import food safety, particularly for fresh produce and seafood; food safety culture; and smarter tools and technologies for data-gathering and data-sharing.

To improve the food safety culture of an organization, it is critical that a key focus be the frontline employees. A proven tool to improve frontline employee engagement in effective food safety behaviors is the concept of "nudging"—a regular cadence of small, easily controlled, and easily taken actions to make a change process more effective, manageable, and sustainable. This article will showcase real-life examples of nudging and share successful examples.

A survey was sent to food industry trade association members representing food companies to determine what is known about food safety culture, food safety management systems, and active managerial control. The survey also asked about the implementation of such practices in support of a culture of food safety. The survey results indicate that many companies are well aware of these food safety concepts; however, many respondents are unsure whether their company is operating with true active managerial control. Opportunities were uncovered to inform and encourage engagement in active managerial control to a greater degree.

The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness and FDA are co-hosting a highly anticipated food safety culture webinar live from the Food Safety Summit on Thursday, May 11. During the live session, academic, regulatory, and industry professionals will discuss how they assess food safety culture and its impact. 

On June 13–15, 2023 Michigan State University’s (MSU’s) Online Food Safety Program will host an executive education workshop, titled, “Creating a Food Safety Culture.”