The COVID-19 pandemic has been a reawakening of the fact that sanitation, hygiene, and food safety are not boring requisites but rather the fundamental apotheosis of every food operator. Heightened hygiene awareness for hygiene does not only have a positive impact on the food handlers themselves but also on the managerial side of things. Managers will be much more devoted to investing in hygienic and food safety improvements, creating awareness, and adopting true infection prevention and food safety culture. Today’s higher awareness of hygiene makes it even more logical for managers to create awareness with their staff, improve hygiene perception and build an infection prevention mindset.
The legacy of the coronavirus
There are a number of structural reasons why food safety would benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are not armed with full data yet, however considering the standard infection prevention measurements taken, are very likely to have a positive effect on food safety incidents. The increasing consciousness of hand hygiene, from foot-operated hand washing stations to disinfection and behavioral changes, from respiratory etiquette to social distancing, all these good practices are breaking the infection chains as well as foodborne diseases for example; Norovirus and Staphylococcus Aureus.
And then last but not least, people finally stay home when sick. A simple but highly effective measure when it comes to preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Doctors have been giving this logical advice for years, but Covid-19 has made people finally listen. These standard infection prevention measurements are likely to have an effect on the occurrence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile, Shigella, and Escherichia coli (or E. coli) where a person to person transmission can also occur.
Epidemiologists talk about “smart containment” that all can practice and hopefully will have a long-lasting effect on the behavior of people and the increased perception towards hygiene.
An infection prevention mindset
The pandemic has made it very clear that infection prevention and food safety is kneaded with people's behaviors. This lesson is exactly the basis for the new regulation the European Union (EU) adopted (2021/382) a year ago requiring food business operators to establish and provide evidence of appropriate Food Safety culture. The new regulation mandates the efforts that institute and maintain a food safety culture in food handling organizations in Europe.
It sets the tone for a landscape that goes beyond seeking compliance to where food safety lives in all operational levels of a food company — from the boardroom to creating new food products to processing lines and food counters: a landscape where employees learn autonomy to meet and continuously improve food safety systems. A landscape where principles of social science blend seamlessly with food science and success is measured through behavioral consistency and a food safety culture mindset.
The path to this vision lies squarely in the culture of the company. Not in better pathogen detection technologies, certification standards, or blockchain-like solutions, but in optimizing the culture of a company to improve measurable food safety performance. Nurturing and adopting a food safety prevention mindset is what it takes to tackle the potential food safety hazards in a continuously changing & complex environment. Ultimately, a robust food safety culture enhances infection prevention in a sustainable fashion while improving health outcomes.
Want to know more about Food Safety Culture and how to measure it?
Diversey Consulting has always been a strong believer that Food Safety culture and the human factor are prerequisites for effective Food Safety management. If you are looking to better understand your current culture and improve it, please take a look at our “Food Safety Culture Matrix Mapping” solution.
Our Food Safety Culture Matrix Mapping program, allows us to take this approach to the next level and provide an in-depth analysis of your current food safety programs and communication.
By means of staff interviews, documentation evaluation, and in-depth site verification, our Diversey Consulting experts assess the overall food safety culture in a Five Generation Mapping Model representing company performance from a reactive to a mastered status.
This Matrix Mapping will provide an organization with a status of maturity and a clear picture of both strengths and weaknesses. It provides the basis for strategic decisions and future investments in food safety to protect and add value to the global brand and the business.