Measuring and improving food safety culture in a large catering company: a case study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of a large catering company in the United Arab Emirates, which measured and improved its food safety culture as part of the Culture Excellence Program. It is the sixth article in a theme issue of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, discussing the importance of measuring food safety and quality culture.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal case study was used, including an online anonymous survey taken by a representative number of employees and supporting in-depth semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The company received a high score in year one of the research, and the reasons for this are discussed. Taking their best practices further with the use of the survey data, they then saw quantitative improvement in year two. This demonstrates elements of best practice in food safety management and how measuring culture within a business can facilitate continual improvement.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates how and why a large-scale catering company has measured and improved their food safety culture, with practical examples. It will be of value to food safety and quality practitioners, trainers, auditors and other stakeholders involved in the food industry.

Citation

Nouaimeh, N., Pazhanthotta, R.T., Taylor, J.Z. and Bulatovic-Schumer, R. (2018), "Measuring and improving food safety culture in a large catering company: a case study", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 358-368. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-02-2018-0011