Food safety isn't just about following rules anymore; it's about building a culture where preventing contamination becomes second nature. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness are partnering on a groundbreaking webinar series designed to shift how food companies think about safety from the ground up. Rather than treating food safety as a checkbox, this initiative focuses on transforming organizational culture itself, using a framework that examines the deeper beliefs, values, and practices that drive decision-making in food manufacturing and handling .

What Is Food Safety Culture, and Why Does It Matter?

Food safety culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, and practices within an organization that prioritize preventing foodborne illness. The FDA and Stop Foodborne Illness partnership is building their webinar series around Edgar Schein's model of organizational culture, which breaks down how change actually happens in companies. This model moves beyond surface-level compliance to examine the underlying beliefs that drive behavior, the values companies publicly commit to, and the tangible artifacts (like policies, training programs, and physical practices) that reinforce those values .

The 2025-2026 webinar series expands on earlier sessions by diving deeper into each layer of this cultural framework. By understanding how culture shapes decisions, food companies can create environments where food safety becomes embedded in daily operations, not just mandated from above. This approach has proven effective because it addresses the human element of food safety, which is often where breakdowns occur.

Who's Leading This Movement, and What Will They Share?

The fifth installment in the series, titled "Culture Change Carnival," is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 at 11:00 A.M. Central Time. This session takes a unique approach by featuring lightning-round presentations from industry peers who have successfully implemented culture change initiatives. Guest speakers include Nalini Mahabir from Mars Petcare, Rachel Jorden from PepsiCo, and John Petie from Kayem, three major food companies with extensive experience in food safety operations .

Rather than presenting theoretical frameworks, these speakers will share out-of-the-box approaches to engage employees and foster continuous improvement in food safety practices. The webinar will include real-world case studies that show how these companies have tackled specific challenges, making the content immediately applicable to other organizations in the food industry.

How to Strengthen Food Safety Culture in Your Organization

• Examine Underlying Beliefs: Start by identifying what your organization truly believes about food safety. Are safety concerns treated as obstacles to efficiency, or as core to your mission? Honest reflection on these foundational beliefs is the first step toward meaningful change.
• Align Espoused Values with Actions: Ensure that the food safety values your company publicly commits to are actually reflected in daily decisions, resource allocation, and employee recognition. When leadership prioritizes safety in hiring, training, and performance reviews, employees take it seriously.
• Create Visible Artifacts of Safety: Implement tangible practices and systems that reinforce food safety culture. This includes clear protocols, regular training programs, transparent communication about safety incidents, and physical workspace design that supports safe food handling.
• Foster Continuous Improvement: Build systems where employees at all levels can identify potential risks and suggest improvements. Psychological safety, where workers feel comfortable reporting problems without fear of punishment, is essential to catching issues before they become outbreaks.

The webinar format is designed to be interactive and practical. Beyond the lightning-round presentations, attendees will have opportunities for direct engagement with the speakers, including an extended question-and-answer session. This allows food safety professionals, managers, and company leaders to ask specific questions about how to implement these strategies in their own operations .

Why This Matters for Food Safety Outcomes

Foodborne illness outbreaks continue to affect thousands of Americans each year, and many of these incidents trace back to breakdowns in safety culture rather than lack of knowledge about proper procedures. When companies treat food safety as a cultural priority, they create redundancies and checks that catch problems early. Employees who understand why food safety matters and feel empowered to speak up are more likely to prevent contamination before it reaches consumers.

The FDA's investment in this webinar series reflects a broader shift in food safety strategy. Rather than relying solely on inspections and recalls, the agency is working to help companies build internal systems that prevent problems from occurring in the first place. This approach benefits everyone: companies reduce the risk of costly recalls and reputational damage, and consumers get safer food .

The webinar is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, making it accessible to food safety professionals across the industry, from small manufacturers to large multinational corporations. Whether you work in food production, distribution, retail, or food service, this session offers practical insights into how organizational culture shapes food safety outcomes.

If you're involved in food safety in any capacity, this webinar represents an opportunity to learn from companies that have successfully transformed their approach to safety culture. The strategies shared by Mars Petcare, PepsiCo, and Kayem can be adapted to organizations of any size, helping create workplaces where preventing foodborne illness is everyone's responsibility.