Food safety culture involves everyone within a food business, from the Managing director, managers, supervisors and all staff involved in the business. Its all about shared beliefs, values and the importance of food safety. All staff should understand their roles, the processes and procedures that relate to them and the safety of your food.
Does your chef practice food safety within your organisation? Does he/she lead by example by sharing his/her knowledge and reasons for food safety procedures? Most importantly does he/she practice what they preach? If not there is a breakdown in food safety culture.
Do you as a manger or owner of a business show an interest in what is going on in different areas of your business? Do you observe and communicate with different staff members to ensure that they understand and have been trained in food safety procedures or specific processes? If not you are not demonstrating that food safety is important, and they will not think so either. Do you provide the necessary resources for them, do you have regular training sessions with your staff in regards to food safety? (get an expert in to assist), make it a fun evening and provide them with refreshments and pay them for their time (make them feel special because they are important to the success of your business).
If you manage a food business that is required to implement a food safety program, do you support your staff when you get audited? Are your managers part of the audit process? If your business gets an annual inspection from the local council inspector do you support your staff throughout this inspection or just wait for the report to be sent? And most importantly do you follow up after an audit or inspection implement corrective action, record your actions and put in place effective strategies to ensure that the issue does not get raised again?
Take the test, a great resource. Distribute it to all staff to develop and improve your food safety culture.
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodsafety/culture/Documents/food-safety-culture-checklists.pdf
