A meeting of Food Safety Culture Champions is just the beginning

In the latest issue of FoodNZ, a report on an inaugural meeting of food safety culture champions (11 August), organised by NZFSSRC in partnership with Otago’s Food Safety Culture Lab.

Why all this emphasis on food safety culture?  Says NZFSSRC Chief Scientist, Distinguished Professor Phil Bremer, “We know a lot about pathogens and their behaviour, but people are not as predictable and can behave very differently when no one is looking.

“How do you get people to follow the rules consistently – rules that may be time-consuming, slow you down, or are otherwise difficult.  How do you make ‘the why’ compelling and align it with self-interest?  What are the best staff incentives?”

There’s another driver for this new emphasis on company culture. Export regulations in many countries now require food businesses to demonstrate that they have a sound protective food safety culture.  

Published on: 1 October 2026