Factors influencing workers to follow food safety management systems in meat plants in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Small and medium sized food businesses have been slow to adopt food safety management systems (FSMSs) such as good manufacturing practices and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). This study identifies factors influencing workers in their implementation of food safety practices in small and medium meat processing establishments in Ontario, Canada. A qualitative approach was used to explore in-plant factors that influence the implementation of FSMSs. Thirteen in-depth interviews in five meat plants and two focus group interviews were conducted. These generated 219 pages of verbatim transcripts which were analysed using NVivo 7 software. Main themes identified in the data related to production systems, organisational characteristics and employee characteristics. A socio-psychological model based on the theory of planned behaviour is proposed to describe how these themes and underlying sub-themes relate to FSMS implementation. Addressing the various factors that influence production workers is expected to enhance FSMS implementation and increase food safety.

Effective implementation of food safety initiatives: Managers’, food safety coordinators’ and production workers’ perspectives

“…There are numerous definitions of small and medium sized enterprises (Ball et al, 2009;European Commission, 2003;Loecher, 2000).…”

“…Various studies have shown socio-psychological factors to influence the implementation of HACCP programs (Ball, Wilcock, & Aung, 2009;Ball, Wilcock, & Aung, 2010;Clayton & Griffith, 2008;Gilling et al, 2001;Hinsz, Nickell, & Park, 2007).…”

An evaluation of process specific information resources, aimed at hazard analysis, in Small and Medium Enterprises in food manufacturing

“…This study concluded that more knowledge-based interventions should be implemented for HACCP team members. Ball, Wilcock, and Aung (2009) identified three themes that potentially present barriers to compliance with food safety management systems and proposed a model to describe factors that influence food safety behaviors, which is subjected to further validation studies.…”

Challenges in Performance of Food Safety Management Systems: A Case of Fish Processing Companies in Tanzania

“…Procedures guide workers through their production and sanitation activities, preventing poor decision making (5,34). For preventive measure design, a significant difference (P < 0.05) between clusters was only observed in specificity of sanitation programs.…”