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What’s the Role of Food Safety Culture in FSSC 22000 Version 6?

By July 10, 2025No Comments

What’s the Role of Food Safety Culture in FSSC 22000 Version 6?

If you’re preparing for FSSC 22000 Version 6 certification, one of the most important updates you need to understand is the focus on food safety culture. This isn’t just a buzzword anymore—it’s now a mandatory requirement under Version 6.

So what exactly does “food safety culture” mean in the context of FSSC? And what should your business do to comply?

Let’s break it down.

🧠 What Is Food Safety Culture?

  • The shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that determine how everyone in your company contributes to food safety.

  • Goes beyond written SOPs—it’s about how people act when no one is watching.

  • Strong food safety culture = safer products, fewer recalls, and better audit outcomes.

🆕 What’s New in FSSC 22000 Version 6?

  • Food safety culture is now a stand-alone clause.

  • Organizations are required to document, implement, monitor, and improve their food safety culture.

  • Aligned with GFSI Position Paper on Food Safety Culture.

✅ Key Requirements for Food Safety Culture in FSSC 22000 V6

Your food business must demonstrate how you:

1. Define Your Food Safety Culture Goals

  • Establish what behaviors and attitudes are expected.

  • Link them to your company’s food safety and quality objectives.

2. Engage Top Management

  • Leadership must actively promote and model food safety values.

  • Food safety must be visible at every level of decision-making.

3. Communicate Expectations

  • Regular communication about:

    • Food safety roles and responsibilities

    • Importance of reporting issues

    • Continuous improvement mindset

4. Train and Empower Employees

  • Regular training (not just during onboarding)

  • Encourage staff to speak up about risks or non-conformities

  • Reward safe behaviors

5. Measure Culture Performance

  • Use:

    • Surveys

    • Observations

    • Audit findings

  • Identify weak areas and develop action plans

6. Continuously Improve

  • Review progress in management reviews

  • Adjust programs and communication based on findings

📌 Examples of Strong Food Safety Culture Practices

  • Daily food safety briefings or toolbox talks

  • “Open door” policy for reporting food safety concerns

  • Recognition programs for safe behavior

  • Visual reminders (posters, charts, KPI boards)

  • Leadership walking the floor and engaging with staff

❗ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • ❌ Treating food safety culture as a “paper exercise”

  • ❌ Thinking it only applies to the QA team

  • ❌ Failing to involve senior management

  • ❌ Only focusing on behavior without addressing underlying attitudes

📈 Why It Matters

  • A strong food safety culture reduces human error and improves audit outcomes.

  • Retailers and certification bodies increasingly expect it.

  • In FSSC 22000 V6, a weak food safety culture can lead to non-conformities during audits.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Food safety isn’t just about procedures—it’s about people.
FSSC 22000 Version 6 makes food safety culture a formal requirement, giving businesses a real opportunity to align everyone toward safer practices, stronger systems, and long-term success.

Need help building and documenting your food safety culture?
At CAYS Scientific, we help food businesses across Malaysia implement culture-driven systems that meet FSSC 22000 V6 and GFSI expectations. Book a free consultation with us today.

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