Effective food safety risk communication is defined as the exchange of information and opinions about the risks and risk-related factors associated with food safety.1
This concept is not only communicating what’s expected of the operators and their staff but also how the institution itself must communicate with all the stakeholders of a company to put together active managerial controls – which helps the entire organization understand how to minimize food safety risks.
Effective food safety risk communication is a vital ingredient to developing a successful food safety culture within a foodservice operation. It serves to inform everyone within the organization, including C-Suite/ownership, management and staff, of the importance of food safety and the negative consequences to customer safety and the bottom line if proper food safety measures are not implemented and executed. It’s important to communicate how everyone has a stake in proper food safety and what their specific role is in maintaining it.
Additionally, communication is integral to training, testing, monitoring and reviewing food safety protocols and practices. Communication will help create a proactive food safety culture which is a wise investment in the health of the organization. As John Zimmerman explains in the most recent episode of Food Safety Unwrapped, presented by Sani Professional – communication and effective implementation of programs to address food safety hazards are key to success –
“You want to design and implement a food safety management system that's risk based at the highest industry standards, and it needs to be proactive. We've got to be cognizant of the tools [and] the resources making sure that they get the right training over time so that they can actually perform those tasks.”
