News
09.02.2022 - Foods
Implementfood-safetyculture
By now, everyone has heard it: "Food safety culture is the new 'magic word'." The Food Hygiene Regulation (VO(EU) 2021/382 dated March 3, 2021, LMHV) calls for its establishment by the food business to "increase food safety through raising awareness and improving the behavior of employees in food establishments." In Chapter XIa, a guide is almost provided on how one could achieve such a culture. It states that the entrepreneur must ensure that all employees are involved in the procedures designed to ensure safety.
Awareness and open, clear communication are essential requirements of the regulation, and investments are expected. This seems new to those companies already certified according to a food safety management system. Both the IFS Food, the BRC counterpart, and the FSSC 22000 system demand the same in the new versions. Notably, the regulation now also obliges the operation manager to participate. The significant involvement of middle management in the culture is evident here.
However, those who now merely add buzzwords to existing documents and leave it at that—hanging a "food safety policy" on the bulletin board—miss an opportunity. Only when all involved truly stand behind the fundamental values of a topic can a culture arise. Only when safe actions become second nature, something no one thinks about anymore, are foods truly safe.
To make safe actions an automation, foundations must be established. A visual match is needed for what food safety is. A consensus must arise and be supported by everyone on how food safety is achieved. It must be possible to point out errors to colleagues. It must be rewarded when attention is paid and thought is engaged. It must be a source of pride to achieve great results together. This requires time and example.
Companies that have not yet addressed food safety culture should begin to collaboratively create a picture with employees. What does it involve? What should be? How could it be achieved? Questionnaires or workshops, particularly future workshops, are suitable for this. At the same time, the company's management and middle management must commit to the new focus and justify why it should now arise. Feedback forms are an essential tool to continuously tap into the employees' wealth of experience, learn from it, and build real values.
It is not a small task that the legislator demands here, but one that pays off in lower error rates, fewer returns and complaints, and an improved working atmosphere!
If you have any questions, please contact our cooperation partner Dr. Andrea Dreusch
CPM Unternehmensberatung Food Safety
Gruenwettersbacher Str. 12
76228 Karlsruhe
Phone: 0171 4948842
Email: ab.dreusch@cp--management.de
[Literature Reference: Dreusch, A.B.; 2021; Food Safety Culture - How to Change Behavior and Improve Product Safety; DLG-Verlag; ISBN 978-3-7690-0859-3]
Dr. Andrea Dreusch