Lone Jespersen, Ph.D. is a published author, speaker, and the Principal and Founder of Cultivate SA, a Swiss-based organization dedicated to eradicating foodborne illness, one culture at a time. Dr. Jespersen has worked to strengthen food safety through organizational culture improvements for 20 years, since starting at Maple Leaf Foods in 2004. She chaired the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) technical working group "A Culture of Food Safety," chaired the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) professional development group "Food Safety Culture," and was the technical author on the BSI PAS320 Practical Guide to Food Safety Culture. Dr. Jespersen holds a Ph.D. in Culture Enabled Food Safety from the University of Guelph in Canada and a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Syd Dansk University in Denmark. She is also a visiting Professor at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. Dr. Jespersen serves as Chair of the IFPTI Board and as Director on the STOP Foodborne Illness Board. She is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine and a member of the Educational Advisory Board of the Food Safety Summit.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Jespersen [3:44] about:

The definition of food safety culture, what it looks like, and indicators of food safety culture maturity within an organization
The crucial role of assessment in promoting continuous improvement of food safety culture
Different food safety culture assessment methods, their positives and negatives, and how to select the most appropriate method
Best practices for communicating insights gained from food safety culture assessments to stakeholders
How to adapt communication about assessment insights to different stakeholder groups
Strategies for translating assessment insights into actions that effect organizational change and promote continuous improvement
Learnings about food safety culture assessment and continuous improvement that can be applied within your organization today.

Resources

Article—Assessing Food Safety Culture: Selecting Methods and Communicating Insights, by Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Shingai Nyarugwe, Ph.D., and Bob Lijana, M.Sc., for Food Safety Magazine October/November 2024

Webinar—Assessing Food Safety Culture: Selecting Methods and Communicating Insights

Dr. Lone Jespersen: Methods for Communicating Insights to Assess Food Safety Culture