1.8 Manager’s Role in Food Safety

Person In Charge

The Person in Charge (PIC) in a food establishment is responsible for ensuring that food provided to guests is safe to consume.   For this to occur, the PIC should use a holistic approach in managing the establishment.  The PIC has a responsibility to identify risks, prevent hazards and utilize food safety systems.

The PIC is the owner, permit holder, and or the manager who directly supervises the food production process.  The Person in Charge has both ethical and legal responsibilities in protecting food.  Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense.  It is the responsibility of the PIC to follow and enforce federal, state and local laws and state hazards up to date when those laws change.

Food Safety Culture

The food safety culture of the organization begins with the Person In Charge.  The PIC will set the tone that ultimately trickles down to each employee in the organization.  If the PIC places food safety as a main priority, this will impact employee’s food safety beliefs and behaviors.

The food safety culture should be embedded in every aspect of the organization, from hiring to training to production and beyond.   When the PIC has food safety front and center of all decision making, a strong food safety culture is cultivated.

When the Person in Charge empowers its employees, a culture of food safety strengthens. Managers should allow trained employees to identify safety risks and take action to correct any deficiencies without manager authorization.  Employees feel valued and take pride in their work when managers put trust in employees.  When employees possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and authority to make food safety decisions, it reinforces a culture of food safety.

Managers should create clear and open lines of communication among its team.  Managers’ communication styles can strongly affect the overall culture of the organization. Being aware of how employees perceive manager communication, whether it is verbal, non-verbal or written should be evaluated.  In addition, language and culture barriers should be considered when developing the organization’s food safety culture.

By modeling correct food safety behaviors, managers are reinforcing to employees a commitment to the food safety culture.   When employees see managers do the right thing, employees are more likely to follow.

Managers can assess the organization’s food safety culture using the CDC’s “Food Safety Culture Assessment Form”, see figure 1.  Managers can use the assessment survey to identify strengths and weaknesses and make improvements to the food safety culture.

Training

It is the responsibility of the Person in Charge to develop and implement a comprehensive food safety training program for all its employees.  During the interview process of a potential employee, managers can use this first point of contact to introduce the potential hire of the organization’s food safety culture.  Potential hires should be made aware of the organization’s food safety training process once hired.

Development of a new hire food safety training program as well as continuous food safety training programs should be a priority of the PIC.  The PIC should never assume a new employee understands and will follow safe food practices.  Once new employee training is complete, managers should ensure regular food safety training takes place.  Ongoing training should include the inadequacies that occur in the establishment.

Assessment

Managers’ observations of employee’s practices and procedures will aid in identifying topics of training.   When a manager reviews the procedures that are taking place in the establishment, they can then identify any deficiencies and develop corrective action which can include retraining.  This process of continuous improvement helps establishments in serving safer food to the public.

Consequences

There can be severe consequences for the permit holder and the Person in Charge if food safety is not a priority.  If critical violations are not corrected, monetary fines can be imposed by the regulatory agency.  If an imminent health hazard is identified, an establishment may be forced to close until such hazard is remedied.  It is the responsibility of the permit holder and the Person in Charge to ensure regulatory compliance.

The ultimate result of poor food safety practices can lead to illnesses and or death.  This can result in civil, and possibly criminal, penalties, legal fees, medical bills, loss of reputation, increased insurance premiums and ultimately closure.  Managers should always be proactive in food safety practices and not reactive.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/restaurant-food-safety/php/practices/food-safety-culture.html

https://www.fda.gov/media/164194/download?attachment