Food Safety Culture: Turning Compliance into Daily Practice

The summer 2026 outbreak of the parasite cyclosporia, which has contaminated certain produce items in grocery stores across the United States, has exacted wide-ranging negative impacts, including hospitalizing hundreds of people with severe intestinal illness and forcing product recalls. This unfortunate event is a stark reminder that while the strength of food safety regulations and a company’s capacity to adhere to them may ebb and flow depending on respective government administrations, these lapses in food safety practices — whether deliberate or unintentional — wreak very real havoc for everyday people and businesses.  

In this sense, food safety should never be seen only as something to be upheld by mandatory regulations — because at any time those regulations might be forsaken, forgotten, or stepped over. Instead, food safety must be embedded in the culture of a company, made inextricable from the values, mission, and day-to-day operations of an organization. Thinking of food safety as a company culture concern — as opposed to a manufactured commitment that’s only as reliable as the government upholding it — helps insulate consumers and companies alike from the array of misfortune that results from the weakening of formal regulations.

Evolving from a "nice to do” concept to a business-critical expectation has been the preferred compass heading for food safety for decades. And for food companies across agriculture, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution, it’s still not enough to have documented procedures, audit-ready records, and technical controls in place. Those systems matter, but they’re only as strong as the behaviors, values, and decisions that shape how people use them every day.

At its core, food safety culture is the shared commitment of an organization to protect consumers, uphold regulatory and customer requirements, and make safe food the consistent outcome of daily work. It is reflected in how leaders communicate priorities, how employees understand their responsibilities, how teams respond when risks arise, and whether people feel empowered to speak up before small issues become larger failures.

Why Food Safety Culture Matters Now

Food safety culture has always existed in some form. Every facility has norms: what gets noticed, what gets overlooked, who raises concerns, and how quickly leaders act. What has changed is the level of formal attention being placed on culture by certification programs, regulators, customers, and industry stakeholders. The Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI) updated benchmarking expectations — released in March 2026 when SQF Edition 10 was enacted — have reinforced the need to embed food safety culture into management systems and daily operations, while the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety identifies food safety culture as a core element for reducing foodborne illness and improving prevention.

This growing focus reflects a practical reality: Food safety performance depends on people. Technology, traceability, hazard analysis, sanitation programs, supplier controls, and audit protocols all require consistent human execution. When employees understand why food safety matters and feel accountable for their role, systems become more effective. When they do not, even well-designed programs can break down.

From Policy Statement to Lived Behavior

A strong food safety culture starts with visible senior management commitment. Leadership should establish a clear policy statement that defines the organization’s expectations and commitment to maintaining a positive food safety culture. But the statement itself is only the beginning. To be meaningful, it must be communicated in ways employees understand, including in the languages used by the workforce and in formats that reach full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers.

Culture is strengthened when employees see that food safety is not treated as a slogan or an audit exercise. It must be reinforced through training, job descriptions, staff meetings, performance expectations, and day-to-day decisions. Leaders should explain not only what employees are expected to do, but why those actions matter to consumers, customers, the brand, and the long-term success of the business.

For many companies, the most significant challenge is moving from compliance to ownership. Employees on the production floor, in receiving, sanitation, warehousing, and in quality assurance are often the first to see when resources are stretched, procedures are unclear, equipment is not functioning as intended, or food safety risks are emerging. A mature culture gives those employees the confidence and authority to raise concerns, stop and correct issues when appropriate, and participate in solutions.

Making Culture Measurable

One of the most common questions companies ask is how to demonstrate food safety culture during an audit. Because culture can feel intangible, organizations may struggle to define key performance indicators that show progress. The answer is not a single metric. Food safety culture is multifunctional and should be evaluated across leadership, communication, training, employee engagement, accountability, and food safety performance.

Useful indicators may include whether food safety objectives include culture-related goals; whether employees receive timely, role-appropriate training; whether communication is effective across languages and shifts; whether employees can explain food safety expectations; and whether management responds to feedback with action plans. Internal audit results, customer and regulatory audit findings, inspection trends, corrective action effectiveness, employee turnover, and food safety incident history can also help reveal how well the culture is functioning.

Observation is equally important. Auditors and leaders can learn a great deal by walking the floor, asking employees how they identify and report concerns, and listening for whether food safety is part of normal operational conversation. A confidential reporting system can further support employee voice, especially in environments where workers may hesitate to speak up directly.

Understanding Maturity as a Journey

Food safety culture is not implemented overnight. It is a continuous improvement journey, and maturity may vary by facility, shift, department, or leadership team. Even organizations with a strong culture can lose momentum when turnover is high, new employees are not effectively onboarded, or business pressures begin to compete with food safety priorities.

Companies assessing maturity should ask practical questions: Are food safety roles and expectations defined in job descriptions? Do leaders consistently talk about food safety and model the behaviors they expect? Are employees trained often enough to retain knowledge and apply it correctly? Are temporary and part-time workers included? Are staff meetings used to discuss food safety trends, concerns, and improvements? Do corrective actions address root causes, or do the same issues repeat?

Small and resource-limited facilities should not view food safety culture as out of reach. A practical plan can begin with a clear commitment from management, basic training, simple communication routines, and a process for employees to report concerns. The goal is progress, not perfection. Over time, companies can add more formal measurements, employee surveys, trend reviews, and cross-functional improvement activities.

Building a Culture that Protects Consumers and Businesses

Food safety culture is ultimately about alignment: what the company says, what its systems require, what leaders reinforce, and what employees actually do. When those elements work together, food safety becomes part of the organization’s identity rather than a checklist maintained for audits.

For SCS Consulting Services, supporting food companies in this work means helping translate expectations into practical, facility-specific programs. That includes developing documented plans, identifying meaningful KPIs, strengthening training and communication, evaluating maturity, and helping leaders create environments where employees feel responsible for food safety and empowered to act.  

The organizations best positioned for the future will be those that recognize culture as a strategic food safety tool. Procedures tell people what to do. Culture determines whether they do it consistently, especially when no one is watching. By investing in leadership commitment, workforce engagement, clear communication, and continuous improvement, food companies can build stronger programs, better audit readiness, and, most importantly, safer food for consumers.

Heena Patel serves as Director of Food Safety Consulting & Technical Services for SCS Consulting Services. Prior to joining SCS Consulting Services, Heena worked for SCS Global Services and was named SQF Auditor of the Year in 2015. Her food safety auditing and certification expertise includes SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, ISO 2001, HACCP, GMP, farm audits, organic, ethical sourcing, food security, and quality, and she is an experienced food safety trainer. Heena earned her triple Bachelor of Science degree in Food Microbiology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Learn more about our food safety consulting services.