Background Factors Affecting the Implementation of Food Safety Management Systems

Why don't workers follow Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) guidelines? Socio-psychological models have been used to describe factors that influence the implementation of food safety management systems (FSMSs) in food processing facilities. The theory of planned behavior posits that perceived control over one's own behavior, one's attitude and the influence of others are antecedents of behavioral intention and/or behavior. The objectives of this study were to identify background factors that influence food safety behaviors of production workers in small and medium sized meat processing facilities and examine how these factors are applicable to the theory of planned behavior. Using a qualitative approach, the researchers conducted 13 in-depth interviews at five meat plants and two focus group interviews with representatives of government and industry agencies. These interviews generated 219 single-spaced pages of verbatim transcripts, which were analyzed by use of NVivo 7 software. Ten themes found in the data relate to elements in the theory of planned behavior that were demonstrated to be applicable to a meat processing establishment. Confirmation of factors having the strongest influence on production workers in meat plants may assist in developing targeted interventions that improve the implementation of FSMSs in the meat and other food processing sectors.