Triangulation and the importance of establishing valid methods for food safety culture evaluation

Abstract

The research evaluates maturity of food safety culture in five multi-national food companies using method triangulation, specifically self-assessment scale, performance documents, and semi-structured interviews. Weaknesses associated with each individual method are known but there are few studies in food safety where a method triangulation approach is used for both data collection and data analysis. Significantly, this research shows that individual results taken in isolation can lead to wrong conclusions, resulting in potentially failing tactics and wasted investments. However, by applying method triangulation and reviewing results from a range of culture measurement tools it is possible to better direct investments and interventions. The findings add to the food safety culture paradigm beyond a single evaluation of food safety culture using generic culture surveys.

The Evolution and Cultural Framing of Food Safety Management Systems—Where From and Where Next?

“…Developing third party verification approaches into the future to become more outcomes‐based or to use multiple sources of data is an emerging theme in the literature. The use of triangulation allows for comparison between different sources of evidence, especially in complex, socio‐technical situations by counterbalancing the strengths and weaknesses of different methodologies and approaches and in doing so increase the credibility and depth of audit processes (De Boeck, Jacxsens, Vanoverberghe, & Vlerick, ; Carugi, ; Jespersen & Wallace, ; Manning, ; Yeasmin & Rahman, ). This line of enquiry then gives rise to some questions.…”

“…A static FSMS and associated FS‐Culture will be limited with its modus operandi in terms of addressing and mediating the uncertainty and ambiguity associated with ever changing food safety risk. While seeking to measure and determine FS‐Culture is important (Emond & Taylor, ; Nayak & Taylor, ), there are however challenges to assessing FS‐Culture effectively in practice (Jespersen & Wallace, ; Jespersen, Griffiths, & Wallace, ; Kane, Taylor, & Teare, ; Nayak & Waterson, ; Nyarugwe et al., ; Taylor, Caccamo, Daniel, & Bulatovic‐Schumer, ; Taylor & Rostron, ). The conceptualization of a holistic view of the FSMS is therefore much more multilayered and nuanced than the simple development of PRPs, OPRPs, and identifying and managing process CCPs for food safety.…”

Influence of food safety culture on food handler behaviour and food safety performance of food processing organisations

“…FS-culture research is therefore increasingly recognizing the importance of method triangulation (De Boeck et al, 2019;Jespersen & Wallace, 2017;Manning, 2018a;Nyarugwe et al, 2018). Method triangulation permits assessment of different aspects of FS-culture using different methods, allowing for comprehensive evaluation.…”

“…De Boeck et al, 2015;Griffith et al, 2017;Fatimah et al, 2014b;Nyarugwe et al, 2018). Recent studies have therefore stressed the importance of food safety culture (FS-culture) in food safety performance (De Boeck et al, 2018;De Boeck et al, 2019;Jespersen et al, 2017;Manning, 2018;Nayak & Taylor, 2018;Nyarugwe et al, 2016). Food companies nowadays attempt to create and sustain a culture of food safety, evidenced by efforts of e.g.…”

“…Interviews were also used to assess food safety governance. To assess the prevailing FS-culture, a mixed-methods approach, which involved triangulation of research methods, was used as recommended in other studies (De Boeck et al (2018b) and Jespersen and Wallace (2017). The approach included interviews, card-aided interviews, questionnaires, participatory observations, and document analysis as previously developed (Nyarugwe et al, 2018).…”