Employee Food Safety Training, the Foundation of a Food Safety Culture

By: Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD, FMI Vice President, Food Safety Programs

A food safety culture is an organization’s shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices on food safety. This includes, but is not limited to, suppliers, purchasing, cleaning and sanitizing, storage, preparation, as well as serving customers. 

Most companies agree on the importance of food safety, but the difference lies in a company’s ability to create a culture that promotes food safety. Starting at the top, food safety must be the number one propriety with programs and incentives that reinforce best practices. A holistic approach to manage food safety risk and incorporate all components of a food safety culture is the key to success.

More than 80 percent of respondents to the 2014 Global Food Safety Training Survey, conducted by Campden BRI and Alchemy in partnership with SGS, SQF and the BRC, reported that an improved food safety culture was the leading benefit of effective employee training.  Additional benefits identified include improved quality and fewer mistakes, fewer food safety incidents, and less customer complaints. 

Still, obstacles to creating a more dynamic food safety culture exist, especially since today’s retail associates are pressed for time.  A recent study identified time and workplace organization as the leading barriers preventing employees from performing safe food handling behaviors.  Additionally, nearly 80 percent of respondents to the 2014 Global Food Safety Training Survey, reported that time is the biggest training challenge.

FMI and Alchemy Systems have developed online training courses for FMI’s SafeMark food safety programs for retail associates.  Alchemy has leveraged the latest research to promote learning and sustain food safety behaviors by developing an innovative and highly effective training experience for both retail food handlers and managers. 

SafeMark can be part of creating a food safety culture for your company.  Learn more and check out the newest online training at www.FMI.org/Food-Safety/SafeMark.