Food Safety Culture Is Now a Measurable Risk: Here’s What Edition 10 Expects
By LeAnn Chuboff, Vice President, Technical Affairs, SQFI
As we move toward the launch of SQF Edition 10 in early March, one message is clear. Food safety is no longer evaluated 
only through programs, procedures, and records. It is also evaluated through people. How do they think? How do they behave under pressure? How safe do they feel speaking up when something is wrong?
SQF Edition 10. Built by Industry. Ready for What’s Next.
That statement goes beyond a tagline. It reflects the reality that industry leaders asked for stronger audit credibility, deeper focus, and a system that addresses how food safety is truly practiced day to day.
That shift is reflected across our refreshed SQF guidance documents now available on our website. Among the updates, one new addition stands out. The Food Safety Culture Assessment Plan Guidance Document introduces a structured way to identify and manage culture that shapes how food safety is practiced every day.
Food safety culture has long been discussed as a leadership priority. Edition 10 formalizes it to be assessed, documented, and improved over time.
Why culture now carries weight
Industry experience has shown that many high-profile food safety failures occurred in sites that were technically compliant on paper. Procedures existed. Training records were complete. Audits passed. Yet behaviors told a different story.
Employees hesitated to report issues. Shortcuts became normal under production pressure. Supervisors discouraged line stoppages. Temporary workers felt disconnected from food safety expectations.
Edition 10 recognizes these patterns for what they are. Hidden hazards driven by culture. The Code now requires sites to maintain a documented food safety culture assessment plan that looks beyond documentation and into day-to-day reality.
What a food safety culture assessment actually evaluates
A food safety culture assessment is not a survey exercise alone, and it is not a one-time initiative. It is a systematic evaluation of whether shared values, attitudes, and behaviors support or weaken food safety objectives.
The assessment emphasizes several core principles:
Assess behavioral realities, not just written systems
Identify gaps between what is documented and what actually happens
Take proactive action to strengthen culture before failures occur
Culture shows itself when no one is watching. How people respond to pressure reveals whether food safety truly comes first.
What auditors will look for
Edition 10 aligns food safety culture assessment with records, interviews, and observations. Auditors may review documented assessment plans, survey results, training content, corrective actions, and management review minutes. They will also talk to leadership, supervisors, operators, and temporary staff.
Equally important, auditors will observe behavior on the floor. Are people comfortable asking or responding to questions? Do supervisors correct issues constructively? Does production ever override food safety rules in high-pressure situations?
The goal is not perfection. The goal is visibility, honesty, and continuous improvement.
Why this matters now
Food safety is human-driven. Procedures fail when people feel rushed, unheard, or afraid to speak. Culture determines how organizations respond when things go wrong, not just when audits are scheduled.
Edition 10 reinforces a simple truth. Strong food safety culture reduces risk long before an incident occurs. Measuring it helps organizations see vulnerabilities early and address them deliberately.
Our new guidance document provides a practical framework to start. It helps sites move from intention to action, and from assumptions to evidence.
As Edition 10 launches, food safety culture is no longer an abstract concept. It is a defined, assessable part of the SQF system.
See our new guidance document on Food Safety Culture Assessment Plan
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In early March, SQFI will release the SQF Edition 10 Code, marking an important evolution of the program shaped by extensive industry input.
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