Masters Degrees (Food Science)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/538

Browse

Browsing Masters Degrees (Food Science) by Author "Becker, Line"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An evaluation of food safety culture in retail stores in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Becker, Line; Krugel, Maricel; Gouws, Pieter; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Food Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The retail food sector forms one of the most significant sectors within the food industry. The safety of food supplied by retail stores constantly faces concerns and is the topic of food safety culture (FSC) increasingly recognised as a contributory factor to the safety performance of an organisation. The concept behind FSC as a behaviour-based system is not commonly evaluated within standard methods to improve food safety (FS) performance. Food safety culture focuses on the people rather than just the processes, providing background for creating and conserving FS perceptions, mindsets, and beliefs. Incorporating human factors such as leadership, communication, commitment, risk awareness, attitudes, behaviours and FS knowledge to evaluate the culture, has recently been added to FSC studies. These contributory factors analyse and give insight into the culture and help identify areas of concern that need attention to ensure a safe food supply and reduce the associated risks. Food handlers that are not behaving in compliance with standards, not having sufficient knowledge, and lack good leadership qualities within food settings, will result in a poor culture. Contradictory, a positive FSC will regard FS as the number one priority. This research study partnered with one of the five dominant corporations controlling the retail industry in South Africa and aimed to evaluate the FSC within their stores in the Western Cape. A three-phase exploratory research design was used to get a clear view and understanding of the contributing factors of FSC. Three data collection methods were utilised in each phase: survey research, an observational study, and microbiological analysis to enforce method triangulation and develop a multidimensional perspective on the FSC within this retail group (RG). The five components related to FS climate were evaluated through a self-reported questionnaire, and a total of 151 food handlers (seventeen stores) participated. Furthermore, food handlers’ behaviours and the microbiological outcome of the retail stores were evaluated. Phases 2 and 3 were performed in nine stores. This study illustrated that many components contribute towards the FSC of an organisation, and three factors, derived from Bandura’s reciprocal determinism model and known as the ‘person’, ‘behavioural’ and ‘situational’ factors, were used to evaluate the FSC. Ultimately, this approach made it possible to evaluate the organisations’ strengths and weaknesses, specific elements that impact the culture and the overall FSC of the RG, mainly classified as faulty based on the results obtained in phases 1-3. The survey showed that the food handlers achieved an above-average FS knowledge score (62%) and the five climate components received average perception scores between 75-85% - creating a considerably high FS climate perception. The commitment towards FS within stores rewarded the lowest perception score (75%), and the risk awareness factor received the highest score of 85%. However, the FS knowledge achievement and behaviours out of compliance (observed during the observational phase) contradicted the high score obtained for risk awareness. Almost half of the participants had less than seven years of experience (51%) within the food industry, contributing negatively towards the food handlers’ knowledge and attitude. Likely, the FS knowledge and FSC were not accurately reflected by the level of education food handlers previously achieved but could instead be triggered by the training sources related to FS. The observational and microbiological analysis identified the five FS topics classified as areas of concern: food and ingredient storage, proper cleaning practices, personal hygiene of food handlers, safe food handling practices, and the training related to FS. These FS topics identified mainly contradicted the results obtained within the FS knowledge questionnaire. In the end, most participants were not accurately aware of the concept of FSC and the behaviours in compliance with safe food handling. Together with inconsistency observed in food handling practices, the results identified a lack of FS knowledge, leadership, commitment and communication. The lack of knowledge about FS risks associated with poor safe food handling practices illustrated a need among food handlers to receive proper FS training to spend their efforts on these topics and to initiate improvement plans. This research project met the objectives by conducting three-phase exploratory research and method triangulation to evaluate the FSC in stores’ part of the retail group and addressing certain aspects that can affect an organisation’s FSC. Furthermore, recommendations to improve their FSC were discussed, FS gaps were identified, associated risks were explained, and assistance was provided to improve the training the RG supplied. The findings also provided valuable insight to the RG on developing, improving, and maintaining a positive FSC.