Focus groups among retail food establishment staff and management reveal obstacles and promoters of good food safety culture

Abstract

Eight focus groups were conducted with 48 retail food establishment workers and managers in Clark County, Nevada on their lived experience of food safety culture. Eight focus group questions were created based on existing food safety culture literature. Interview data underwent thematic analysis in which two major themes emerged: the explicit expression of food safety culture, which includes elements of training and oversight, and the implicit expression of food safety culture which includes elements of communication, space, staffing, and appreciation. Participants reported a reluctance of staff to communicate with leadership, a lack of equipment and materials, and short staffing as obstacles to good food safety culture. Participants reported promotors of good food safety culture to be ongoing, applied training, routine two-way communication, engaged oversight, and appreciation.