Food safety culture contributory factors in foodborne illness recalls and outbreaks, 2001–2022

Abstract

Background
Despite decades of efforts in improving food safety governance, management systems, and foodborne incidents surveillance, foodborne recalls and outbreaks continue to occur worldwide. Food safety culture is considered important in context of foodborne incidents, but is rarely discussed in outbreak literature.

Scope and approach
The aim of this critical interpretive synthesis review is to examine the factors related to food safety culture in causing foodborne incidents between 2001 and 2022. An existing food safety culture dynamic model was used as the framework for the factors emerging from the incident literature.

Key findings and conclusions
Thirty-two incidents and eight additional outbreak reviews (6634 incidents) were identified and analysed for their discussion on food safety culture, resulting in 10 contributory factors. “Formal systems” at organisational level and “shared hygiene behaviours” at working group level received the most discussion, while factors pertaining to organisational cultural norms received limited yet sustained interest in the last two decades. Food processor/manufacturer is the most reported food system stakeholder that had culture-related breakdowns in causing incident. There is a close connection between culture and systems, signifying the role of people in living the systems in causing incidents. Overlaying the five Global Food Safety Initiative food safety culture dimensions reveals scant discussion on “Vision & Mission” and “Adaptability”, suggesting a need to understand enabling conditions for behaviour to understand root causes and manage risk. While “systems” have been historically the focus of incident investigation, organisational and food safety culture elements need to be included in the process to identify trends, allowing tools and strategies to be developed and implemented to prevent future issues from occurring.