Food safety training mostly ‘on the job’ but time barriers

On the job learning was followed by reading and understanding policies, which were selected by about 82% of firms as their main food safety training methods, according to the research conducted by Campden BRI, Alchemy Systems, and certification bodies BRC Global Standards and Safe Quality Food.

The next three most popular training methods were: refresher courses, which were favoured by about 77% of firms; classroom training with an instructor, used by about 67% of firms; and coaching, adopted by about 43% of businesses.

Other less popular training methods included: exams, computer based e-learning (39% of firms), training by external consultants, and continuing professional development.

The three least popular methods of training were: audience interactive technology (14% of firms), just in time training and collaborative or social media training.

But whatever the preferred training method, lack of time proved a significant barrier to food safety training.

Biggest challenge to food safety training​

Over 70% of survey businesses said lack of time for training was the biggest challenge to food safety training.

A further 44% listed the difficulties of measuring the effectiveness of training as blocking their progress.

Other obstacles to food safety training were listed as: the difficulties of delivering training in appropriate languages (nearly 50% of firms), resources for training delivery, and the problems of developing a current training curriculum (both about 25%), followed by retraining or remediation at about 24%.

Questioned about measuring the effectiveness of food safety training, about 65% of firms identified tracking of food safety objectives – such as good management practises and quality non compliances.

Nearly 60% relied on supervisor observations and measurement, while about 48% depended on managers’ on-the-job assessments.

Employees’ own assessments​

About 17% of surveyed firms currently did not measure the effectiveness of food safety training  and about 15% relied on employees’ own assessments.

Laura Dunn Nelson, director of industry relations at Alchemy Systems, said: “With food safety being so critical to the food industry, the importance of adequate training results of this study are an excellent way for food manufacturers and processors to benchmark their performance against their competitors and identify any opportunities for development.”​

The companies surveyed included those with fewer than 50 employees and others with more than 1,000. It included the cereal and baking, dairy, meats, fish and poultry, and packaging sectors.

The full results of the study are available here​.

Meanwhile, Information on the food safety e-learning packages offered by FoodManufacture.co.uk’s publisher, William Reed Business Media, is available here​ .

Barriers to food safety training – at a glance

•             Lack of training time (70%)

•             Difficulties in measuring effectiveness ( 44%)

•             Language challenges  (nearly 50%)

•             Lack of resources (25%)

•             Problems of developing a curriculum (about 25%)

•             Retraining or remediation challenges ( about 24%).