What is Food Safety Culture?
Organisational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which governs how people behave within an organisation. When that organisation is part of the food chain, the stakes become so much higher - because the consequences could cost lives. Ultimately, the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values of the team will determine the effectiveness of their behaviour when it comes to the implementation of food safety.
Research has proved that the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks result from human error. We can have the right food safety management systems in place, we can be compliant with relevant food legislation – yet still battle with food safety challenges.
Have you considered the impact of behaviour on your organisational food safety culture?
Watch these videos
We’ve had some great interactions on the topic of Food Safety Culture, so we’re sharing these videos with you.
Our Services
Food Safety Culture is an initiative developed by Food Focus, in partnership with Prof. Ryk Lues from the Central University of Technology (CUT). Through countless hours of developing, refining, and improving our methodology; drawing on our auditing, academic and marketing backgrounds, we have developed a 3-phase approach to diagnose and understand your current food safety culture, and to determine the best way forward to address any underlying issues.
Teaming up with Tenzing Marketing, a communications solutions provider to the food industry, we are able to assist in the development of top-down communications and change management solutions to ensure that your people engage with and adopt your new approach to food safety in a sustainable way.
Assessments
Our multilingual digital assessment tool offers insight into your current food safety culture from C-suite level to shopfloor, locating and flagging problems that hinder food safety. The results are analysed to identify the way forward.
Intervention planning
Based on the results of your assessment, and the areas needing immediate attention, we work closely alongside your team, to structure a practical intervention strategy that will fit your organisation’s unique requirements.
Change management
Knowledge is not enough. Our communications experts can design a complete employee culture change programme with exciting and creative tools to engage employees, challenge beliefs, instil values and ultimately, change behaviour.
Our Latest Culture Insights
Food Safety Culture is brought to you
Our Team
Prof. Ryk Lues
Ryk is a Professor in Food Safety and Regional Innovation in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at CUT. He is Director of the Centre for Applied Food Safety and – Biotechnology (CAFSaB), the largest research entity at the university, as well as Coordinator of the DST Regional Innovation Forum for the Free State Province, He holds an MSc (Microbiology) and a PhD (Food Science) from the University of the Free State and is Professional Natural Scientist affiliated with the South Africa Council for Natural and Scientific Professions (SACNASP)
Adele Krogh
As a Qualified Environmental Health Practitioner with more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Adele has a practical approach to the industry. She is passionate about doing things the right way, and has developed food safety, occupational health and safety and quality management systems for a range of companies; audited, consulted, and trained for the food industry at many different levels; and is an advocate of food safety culture and working with management to set the direction for compliance in a sustainable way.
Bridget Day
With a BA in language and linguistics, Bridget’s focus is on communications. With a background in graphic design and the print industry, she studied marketing in order to be able to communicate with the industry more effectively. She has worked directly in the food industry for over 20 years, in operations, training and marketing; written for industry publications on food safety, supply chain, and agri-food issues; and has a passion for and environmental issues and healthy business culture.
Contact us
Thank you for your interest in creating a more positive food safety culture within your organisation. Together, we can make food safer for all South Africans.
Should you wish to contact us, please get in touch with us via the form here, or via the email below:
Request a call back
Leave your details and we will call you back.