"Understanding that front line food handlers are oral communication learners and perceive their job as low-risk helps to develop programs to change this perception into positive attitudes."

So says Pat Brown, director of food safety for The Great A&P Tea Company, in Food Safety Tech.

Brown writes that food companies need a multi-tiered approach of selling food safety to ensure that every level from upper management to front-line food handlers are informed, involved, and rewarded for positive outcomes.

How best to do that?

Brown cites studies from FDA’s Oral Communication Project conducted by Clayton, et al., in 2002, which revealed that food handlers are primarily oral communication learners and obtain their knowledge about food safety by observing their supervisors and peers. Importantly, they view their job as very low risk.

It’s something me and Chapman figured out 10 years ago by looking at the learning literature from 50 years ago, and is the basis for our on-going food safety infosheets.

Brown writes, "In 2003, Green and Selman noted in their study of oral communication learners that there is a discrepancy between knowledge and behavior. Even when food handlers possess knowledge of safe food handling practices, they don’t always handle food safely. The food service and retail food industry have an extremely high turnover rate. For example, in my company the turnover rates run as high as 54 percent in deli, 52 percent in produce, 49 percent in seafood, 42 percent in meat and 41 percent in bakery. This aspect makes any realistic formalized training of part time associates difficult and ineffective.

"A study in 2004 by Dr. Donna Beegle noted methods that work and don’t work with oral communication workers. She observed that information presented in books or articles was less effective than providing workers with real time vivid examples that they can relate to with empathy. For example, a manager talking to a fruit salad preparer about the importance of scrubbing melons before cutting them and maintaining the cold chain could use current events as an effective learning tool. The manager could discuss the Listeria outbreak with cantaloupes and how many people have become ill or died. That same manager may use basic language and avoid using big words like Listeria and rather describe the importance of removing the mud from the rind to eliminate any “germs” that may contact the interior fruit.

"Dr. Beegle noted that sometimes oral communication learners are intimidated by management and may listen more to their peers. Therefore, assigning more experienced food handlers to mentor new hires is also an effective tool.

"Information presented, but not practiced, sends negative messages to the oral communication learner. Therefore it’s essential that active managerial controls include “walking the walk” by having managers carry thermometers to take temperatures, wash their hands as soon as they enters prep rooms and wear hair restraints and appropriate garments when inside prep areas."

Brown lists three examples used at A&P, but no stories, which seems sorta weird after citing the oral communication folks.

Formal training of all upper management operational teams to become food safety professionals through one of the CFP ANSI certification programs is essential to obtain the support required to sustain a culture of food safety.

But more training doesn’t correlate with improved food safety; it’s hit and miss, and other factors are involved. Even the experts learn from stories.

Developing metrics to quantify the success of internal food safety programs and reporting them to upper management are also key factors in maintaining the food safety momentum. The use of internal auditors, rather than third party audit companies, provides a more accurate evaluation of an operation due to a vested ownership since the inspector’s perspective is that of a customer first, then a regulator and finally an internal auditor. These metrics are shared with all of the operations and merchandising teams in order for them to understand any opportunities and develop ways to improve compliance.

Measuring food safety culture within an organization is a developing concept. The UK Food Standards Agency is apparently working on comprehensive metrics for food safety culture; hopefully it’s better than “cook food until it’s piping hot.”