Inside the black box of food safety: a qualitative study of ‘non-compliance’ among food businesses
Mark Brough A B , Belinda Davies A and Eleesa Johnstone AA School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Qld 4059, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: m.brough@qut.edu.au
Health Promotion Journal of Australia 27(1) 10-14 https://doi.org/10.1071/HE15013
Submitted: 10 February 2015 Accepted: 25 August 2015 Published: 29 October 2015
Abstract
Issue addressed: This paper examines the meaning 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 recently been deemed ‘non-compliant’ through Council inspection.
Results: 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.
Conclusions: The evidence base of food safety is largely informed by the science of food hazards, yet there is a very important need to consider the practical daily application of food safety practices. 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 model of regulation.
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