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SAFETY ALERT
SAFETY ALERT
• Poor hygiene during food
production process. This causes the
cross contamination of microorganisms
into food, such as sick workers, who
works in the food production process,
staffs in the food production line do not
change the new gloves after finding the
glove was dirty and torn, or staffs do not
wash hands after using the toilet and before
entering the food production process and etc.
If we consider on above mentions causes,
we will find that they are all linkage to
inappropriate practices or staff’s behavior, which
are risk for food safety. It can be implied that food
safety is cause from behavior or staffs’ practice
(Food safety = Behavior). Consequence,
entrepreneurs in food business should realize on
the importance of food safety assurance by not only
adopting food science and technology, but
entrepreneurs should appropriately integrate food
science and technology with behavioral science. This
is to create food safety management system based on
behavior, which is focused to manage both procedure
Food Safety Culture

Creating Sustainability Based

Food Safety Management System

Chris Griffith, an academic at the University of Wales and people in order to create food safety culture in food factory,
Institute, said that “Despite the huge amount of money as well as to effectively help manage risk of non-food safety.
Food safety culture in a food factory means that whether the
and massive works on research over the past 100 years, owner, manager, or employee thinks and how they respond to
food safety is remained as a major issue in the world.” assigned task to ensure that food is safe for consumption, and
Food safety is crucial for consumers and entrepreneurs pride of themselves on being involved in the production of food
safety at all times. Moreover, they also have an awareness of
throughout the food chain production from upstream food quality which is safe for consumption (Food Standards
to downstream. Farmers, food processors, chef, and Australia New Zealand). To have strong food safety culture can
other employees involved in food production, those encourage food factory to achieve the goal of food safety, while
also effect on consumer confidence and their satisfaction. To
have responsibility on food safety for consumers’ health create food safety culture, all employees in food factory must be
protection. Many factors are involved in a bid to achieve involved, understand the importance of food safety production,
in food safety production. In general, food safety program as well as have a practice commitment to produce safe food at
all times. Nevertheless, to make employees aware of the
such as hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP), importance of non-food safety from their practice or familiar
human resource training, inspection on food products, or behavior in order to encourage them to change their inappropriate
practice or behavior to appropriate manner for safety food
product recall etc. are guidelines used to insure food safety. production and in sustainably way, whether there are monitoring
However, the implementation of the food safety program measure or not. It is not easy to change employee’s behavior, in
may not be sufficient to insure food safety. particularly behavior that related to health and safety. Many factors
such as, owner or top executive, manager or supervisor and all
employees are involved with the change of behavior and
employee’s practice to create food safety culture, make it strong
Wallace CA said that “Only HACCP cannot guarantee food safety. and be sustainable. The owner or top executive of the factory
Although the mentioned systems are applied continuously, the failure has should initiate the policy and commitment for safety food
been found due to the lack of awareness and commitment of the people production. Moreover, the policy and commitment should be
involved. Many failures on food safety are caused by management failures communicated to every employee of the factory, and have
since HACCP will be succeeded when food safety culture is effective.” monitoring measure to follow up the outcome, as well as support
An improvement of the expression of practice or food safety behavior for better development. Manager or supervisor should also have
in food factories either in small plant with a few employees or large-sized good manner so that they can be good sample for the employees
factory with thousands of employees, one important thing that should be at all time. Employees from every department need to understand,
improved is to change the way employees behave or to change some realize, be faithful, have intention, and responsibility on food
behavior that is inappropriate for safe food production. We may say that safety production and etc.
food safety is caused by behavior or proper food processing practices of One important thing to be considered for food safety
employees and involved people. Diseases that cause from food or water assurance of the food factory in current is employees, people
are caused by several causes. For instance: involved in the factory, and the behavior changing of those to
• Microorganism contamination on food contact surface of equipment have appropriate practice on food safety at all time. As a result,
such as staff who have duty to cut of raw materials, uses the same knife creating food safety culture in food factory is needed to adapt
and cutting board to cut both fresh vegetables and boiled chicken in order food science and technology with behavioral science.
to prepare ready-to-eat chicken salad without adequately washing and sanitizing
the knife and cutting board in between uses etc.
62 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND MAY 2018