Root Cause Analysis for Retail Food Safety

About

Root Cause Analysis is a critical part of the food safety problem solving process. This analytical process breaks the system down into its components, enabling an understanding of the effect of each component on others and/or the system. Root cause analysis techniques assist regulatory and industry professionals in identifying possible causes, determining actual causes, and implementing solutions. 

This course develops the skills needed to define the problem, collect data, determine the “why” of the violation or outbreak, and identify solutions by applying the concepts of root cause analysis to reduce risk factor violation occurrence and enhance foodborne illness outbreak investigations.  

Course Objectives

• Enhance problem solving effectiveness by providing a model for more deeply analyzing problem situations. (e.g., foodborne illness outbreaks, recurring violations)  
• Clarify the difference between analytical and creative thinking, and when each is most useful 
• Promote the ability to provide problem-solving support in situations where one is not an expert in the process or technology involved  
• Expand the range of tools available for analysis of problems