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13Organizational culture is defined by dimensions and characteristics that can be used to 14 measure food safety culture in food manufacturing through a food safety maturity model. 15Maturity models from quality, health care, and information technology have been used since 16 early 1970 and this work presents a novel food safety culture maturity model with five capability 17 areas and food safety pinpointed behaviours specific to functions and levels in a food 18

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The research evaluates maturity of food safety culture in five multi-national food companies using method triangulation, specifically self-assessment scale, performance documents, and semi-structured interviews. Weaknesses associated with each individual method are known but there are few studies in food safety where a method triangulation approach is used for both data collection and data analysis. Significantly, this research shows that individual results taken in isolation can lead to wrong conclusions, resulting in potentially failing tactics and wasted investments. However, by applying method triangulation and reviewing results from a range of culture measurement tools it is possible to better direct investments and interventions. The findings add to the food safety culture paradigm beyond a single evaluation of food safety culture using generic culture surveys.

The purpose of the research was firstly, to analyze existing culture evaluation systems for commonalities and differences in research quality, applied validation strategies, and content. Secondly, to suggest a simple structure of food safety cultural dimensions to help unify the culture evaluation field. To achieve these goals, a comparison of eight culture evaluation models applied to varing degrees in the food industry was conducted. The systems were found to vary significantly in applied validation strategies but through deductive, textual data analysis, five dimensions were identified that cover elements present in all the models. Transparency is needed when using applied research methodologies to continually increase quality and trustworthiness of culture research in the food safety domain and this field would benefit from both further commonality of approach to validation strategy and structure and adoption of an overarching structural framework.

Background: The topic of food safety culture and climate is growing attention from industry, researchers, standards owners and certification bodies. Authors use the terms food safety culture and climate, however, there are no unified definitions to provide clarity on the meaning of these terms. Scope and Approach: The objective of this study is to analyse the similarities and differences in current definitions and statements of Food Safety Culture and Food Safety Climate, and provide suggested clarifying definitions for both concepts, to bring a consistent approach to the field. The study evaluates the types of organisational cultures, climates and employees' behaviours which provide important differences and further insights into each of these. Key Findings and Conclusions: Looking back at the origins of safety culture following the Chernobyl accident in the 1980's provides an understanding of how this laid the foundation for safety culture and climate in the UK. Reflecting on the increasing trend in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) breaches due to the increasing number of incidents reported to authorities, the study suggests an increased focus is needed on culture, climate, and behaviour in food businesses. A critical analysis of previous definitions, statements and common words currently used to describe culture and climate in published 2 definitions is provided. New definitions for food safety culture and climate based on factors shown to be important and are recommended for use by industry and researchers are proposed. The study assesses different types of culture, climate and employees, and suggests different employee behaviours impact the culture and climate of an organisation.

Research into the connection between organizational effectiveness and culture has been documented since the early nineteen nineties. A connection between economic performance and organizational culture has been established directly linking strong cultural drivers to economic performance in both the finance and retail sectors. This research proposes a similar association Highlights 1. Explores organizational culture, effectiveness, and performance in the food industry 2. Demonstrates theoretical economic gain from building food safety culture maturity 3. Refines and strengthens a food safety culture maturity model for practical application 4. Proposes a dynamic model of food safety culture building block and interactions 5. Empirical study of culture performance within five global food manufacturing companies Keywords Food safety culture, economic impact, food safety maturity model, cost of poor quality, food safety culture dynamic model.

Maple Leaf Foods learned a hard lesson following its tragic 2008 Listeria outbreak that ended up taking the lives of 23 Canadians. The organization has since 2008 transformed its commitment to food safety with a strong drive and manifest in embedding sustainable food safety behaviours into the existing company culture. Its focus on combining technical risk analysis with behavioural sciences has led to the development and deployment of a food safety strategy deeply rooted in the company values and management commitment. Using five tactics described in this article the organization has been on a journey towards food safety transformation through adoption of best practices for people and systems. The approach to food safety has been one where food safety is treated as a non-competitive issue and Maple Leaf Foods have been open to sharing learning about what happened and how the organization will continue to take a leadership position in food safety to continuously raise the bar for food safety across the industry. Maple Leaf Foods has benefited tremendously by learning about best practice from numerous companies in North America and around the world. The authors believe this brief story will bring value to others as we continue to learn and improve.