Food Safety Culture for All: Building Public Health Accountability in Food Safety Agencies

Food safety culture is often considered a priority for food businesses, but regulatory agencies play an equally vital role in modeling and cultivating a culture that prioritizes public health, transparency, and accountability. In this interactive session, participants will explore how food safety culture principles can be embedded within regulatory agencies to enhance effectiveness, trust, and alignment with public health goals.

The session will feature a concise presentation introducing the core principles of food safety culture — commitment to public health, metrics and accountability, leadership modeling, and continuous improvement. Participants will then engage in small-group exercises designed to apply these concepts to their unique roles and challenges. These exercises will encourage reflection, discussion, and the development of actionable strategies for fostering a strong food safety culture within their own agencies.

Attendees will leave with practical insights and tools to enhance their agency’s food safety culture, from leveraging metrics for accountability to fostering collaboration and trust. Whether you’re a front-line inspector or a program manager, this session will provide actionable takeaways to help regulatory agencies lead by example in the pursuit of food safety excellence.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand: Explain the core principles of food safety culture and their relevance to regulatory agencies.
2. Analyze: Assess your agency’s current food safety culture by identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
3. Apply: Develop actionable strategies to integrate food safety culture principles into daily regulatory practices.
4. Evaluate: Critique existing food safety culture initiatives within your agency and propose enhancements to align with best practices.