Importance of Food Safety and how to Build a Sustainable Food Safety Culture in Food Industries

Food Safety: The term food safety seems to have different meanings among food safety professionals. However, with respect to human food, a concise definition below suffices:

Food safety is the prevention of food contamination prior to its being released to the consumer by ensuring that all foods made available for sale in the marketplace are safe for all consumers.

… The Food Safety Magazine

This implies that the food production processes and practices must guarantee food that is safe for human consumption.

WHO – Key facts:

• An estimated 600 million (almost 1 in 10 people in the world) fall ill after eating contaminated food. 420,000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years 
• Children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 125,000 deaths every year.
• Africa has the highest burden of foodborne diseases, relative to its population. More than 91 million people are estimated to fall ill and 137,000 die each year.

The major sources of food contamination in food organisations include water, production materials, packaging materials, equipment, air, dust, sewage, insects, rodents, and employees. Food contamination refers to the presence of harmful chemicals and microorganisms in foods, which can cause consumer illness when such foods are consumed. Many reasons could be deduced for why Africa has the highest burden of food contamination. However, largely, the reasons range from socioeconomic, regulatory to non-professional behaviours of some producers and food handlers.

1.     Low educational/awareness levels of most consumers and food handlers

2.     Unhygienic food transportation and storage systems

3.     Lack of access to clean water and/or inadequate treatment of water for food production

4.     Unhygienic/poor environmental conditions for food production

5.     Lack of funds to invest in technology over manual operations

6.     Inadequate/poor enforcement of regulatory protocols by relevant government agencies.

Urbanization, fast-paced economy, and changes in consumer lifestyles, have increased the number of people buying and eating food prepared in public places. These challenges put greater responsibility on food producers and handlers to ensure food safety. Local food safety incidents can quickly grow into international emergencies due to the speed and range of product distribution and the social media. Consequently, good collaboration amongst relevant government agencies, producers, transporters and consumers is necessary to ensure safe food for consumption. This collaboration introduces the important concept of Food Safety Culture.

Food Safety Culture: We have seen the importance of food safety and the responsibility on food producers to ensure safe food. However, as also mentioned, safe food production would be a mirage without the extensive collaboration amongst stakeholders.

Culture simply means the way of life of a people; and so, food safety culture is how everyone (owners, managers, employees, stakeholders) thinks and acts in their daily job to make sure the food they produce is safe for consumption.

A strong food safety culture comes from people understanding the importance of making safe food and committing to doing whatever it takes, EVERY TIME. It starts at the top but needs everyone's support across the business. In such organisations, food safety is a top priority.

Does the government have a role in ensuring a food safety culture?

Of course, yes. One of the primary roles of government is to protect the lives of its citizens. Protection of lives is not only from attacks by bandits and from other criminal elements, it is also protection from consumption of unsafe foods from unscrupulous food manufacturers. Some of the steps government can take to promote a National Food Safety Culture (it would be great to have that) are as follows:

• Establish a comprehensive national food safety policy to drive the national food safety culture.
• Insert the Policy into school curriculum and teach it right from the primary schools. Only then can it sink into the fabrics of the people.
• Strengthen regulatory protocols and its enforcement. This should include imported food items.
• Continuous engagement with sector stakeholders
• Unannounced, routine site visits to food plants
• Recognise companies that are complying, and mete out consequences to organisations deviating from the requirement.

What should food manufacturers do to promote food safety culture in the workplace?

Firstly, food producers that are not ready to produce safe food should not be in business.

To build and maintain a strong food safety culture, 

• Top management must not only demonstrate their commitment with their words and actions, but also make sure that their company's policies, systems, and processes are driving good food safety decisions and behaviour at every level of the organization. This means every employee and 3rd party personnel in the organisation must understand and know the impact of their actions and/or inactions on food safety.
• Ensure organisational hygiene is top notch – this includes hygienic installations, technology and personal hygiene.
• Continuous engagement with employees and other personnel on food safety
• Ensure ad hoc workers and visitors to the premises are taken through awareness trainings on food safety. This is to make them know the expectations while in the premises.
• Ensure extensive collaboration with relevant government agencies and stakeholders.

In conclusion,

1.     Until the receptionist at the entry gate, the office cleaners, truck/forklift drivers can preach food safety, the culture is not yet a way of life in that organisation.

2.     Until a shop floor operative stops the machine to correct a malfunction that threatens food safety, when no one is watching, the culture is not yet a way of life.