Inside the black box of food safety: A qualitative study of ‘non-compliance’ among food businesses
2015
Issue addressed
The paper examines the meanings of food safety among food businesses deemed non-compliant and considers the need for an ‘insider perspective’ to inform a more nuanced health promotion practice.
Methods
In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 food business operators who had been recently deemed ‘non-compliant’ through Council inspection.
Result
Paradoxically, these ‘non-compliers’ revealed a strong belief in the importance of food safety as well as a desire to comply with the regulations as communicated to them by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs).
Conclusions
The evidence base of food safety is largely informed by the science of food hazards, yet there is a very important need to illuminate the ‘insider’ experience of food businesses doing food safety on a daily basis. This requires a more socially nuanced appreciation of food businesses beyond the simple dichotomy of compliant/ non-compliant.
So what? Armed with a deeper understanding of the social context surrounding food safety practice, it is anticipated that a more balanced, collaborative mode of food safety health promotion could develop which could add to the current signature model of regulation.
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