A new University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka initiative aims to improve food safety in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Just launched, the Food Safety Culture Lab is a multidisciplinary research group that focuses on human behaviours in the food industry which can lead to foodborne illnesses.
The first of its kind in Aotearoa, the Lab will investigate how people working in the food industry navigate safety systems, balance operational pressures, deal with uncertainty, and respond to risk.
Co-lead Professor Miranda Mirosa, a behavioural scientist from Otago's Department of Food Science, says while the industry has strict rules and policies around safety, staff don't always adhere to them.
"When we look at how people get sick, it is often because someone hasn't followed the rules.
"It may be that they don't have the knowledge or skills, there may be language barriers, they may have no motivation to follow the rules, or their workplace set-up doesn't make doing the right thing the easy option."
The Lab will provide evidence-based insights into how food safety culture can be most effectively measured, actioned and sustained across New Zealand's food sector.
The research team will work with companies to determine any issues and what can be done about them.
"It could be developing and testing different interventions to improve the food safety culture, like a training module, point-of-decision prompts, and short safety-focused huddles."
Professor Mirosa says there is a strong focus globally on food safety culture, and the Lab will work to support the long-term development of this as a collective, evidence-informed practice throughout Aotearoa.
The Lab is co-led by Distinguished Professor Phil Bremer, a food safety and microbiology expert and the Chief Scientist at the New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC), and includes researchers and postgraduate students, including Dr Wendy Newport-Smith, Manager of the NZFSSRC, who specialises in food safety culture and ethical leadership.
