Education means something different to everyone and can be defined in many ways including, "the action or process of educating or of being educated," "the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university," and even "an enlightening experience." The word education originates from the Latin words educare, meaning "to bring up," and educere, meaning "to bring forth." To be a bit philosophical, the most fitting definition might be, "the wise, hopeful, and respectful cultivation of learning and change undertaken in the belief that we all should have the chance to share in life."
For the author, as an academic working among other academics at a place of higher learning, education is a term we embrace daily, yet loosely throw around in a university setting to define who we are as employees, to explain what we do as a primary focus of our job, and for suggesting our tangible contribution to society. However, education encompasses far more than students sitting in a classroom (or at home virtually) listening to lecture after lecture about a particular topic or focus area. Education is a process to teach and cultivate the mind about how to systematically listen to information; process and understand that information; and most importantly, converge this new (or repeated) information with one's current knowledge about a topic along with their own experiences, views, perspectives, and opinions. They are required to accept that this information may or may not be in agreement with what they already may or may not know or believe.
Education often serves as a means to either validate or challenge current thinking, or the beliefs and opinions supporting that particular thinking. This is where education can be most impactful to us as individuals; it can generate new knowledge and, in doing so, propose clear and strong beliefs and opinions supporting the new knowledge. It can also provide a means of validating existing views and opinions, or it can serve as a vehicle to challenge incorrect beliefs, views, and opinions using science-based learning and educator expertise in a "neutral" setting. For example, on academic campuses, trust in education exists as a pillar of higher learning institutions.
Education, regardless of setting, is generally most effective and impactful when administered and taught by individuals who are not only knowledgeable, but also passionate about the topics or field of learning. If the educator is able to make a connection (professional or personal) with the student during the learning experience, utilizing a variety of learning tools and techniques, then the learning impact is not only magnified; it can sometimes be a life-changing experience. As academics, we generally excel in classroom teaching targeting college students, where we utilize a variety of leaning tools and techniques to accomplish our learning objectives for the particular classes being taught. This model and approach can be adopted and applied in a variety of different "learning" settings to effectively support continual and experiential learning that is important to our daily personal and professional lives.
Purpose and Diversity of Food Safety Education
Food safety, a discipline of its own, can significantly benefit from the experiential educational process and create significant mindset and culture changes in significant and meaningful ways. In fact, the impact that food safety education has on people is often overlooked and regularly underappreciated and, as such, is worthy of further exploration. Of all the areas to gain knowledge that can translate into truly positive habit-forming, food safety certainly rises to the top of that list. We know that if we understand the principles of food safety, simple best practices for helping prevent foodborne illness, and why food safety matters, then we are more likely to be successful in actively participating in a desirable food safety culture. That culture can exist in our workplaces, in our homes, or during our attendance at restaurants, gatherings, or wherever food is served. Individuals often align with and feed into an existing food safety culture, with positive results.
It is important to acknowledge, however, that not everyone has been raised with a strong understanding of basic food safety principles and practices. As food safety educators, we have the opportunity to impart correct and positive food safety knowledge through education-based learning and good habit-forming. It is also important to acknowledge that young professionals entering the workforce straight out of college, or those transitioning from another industry, may not be equipped with holistic or robust information about food safety. Their primary knowledge of food safety may be heavily skewed or simply incomplete, based on their learning opportunities and the views and opinions they have formed along the way. If deficiencies in food safety awareness and knowledge are not realized and addressed, they can undermine a company's existing food safety system and likely will not contribute to an existing food safety culture.
Many educational vehicles are available to provide food safety learning to our coworkers, colleagues, and employees. These approaches leverage food safety expertise from universities, trade associations, third-party professionals, and industry consultants, as well as experienced experts within companies. While none can provide a one-time, all-inclusive, or all-encompassing food safety learning experience, all can contribute in meaningful ways to an individual's fundamental knowledge about food safety and move them closer to understanding, believing in, and embracing an already-established food safety culture. All learning opportunities are investments in one of the most essential resources we have—the people directly charged with supporting safe food production.
To better understand the educational offerings, employee investment, and overall company food safety culture impacts offered by different educational vehicles, a deeper exploration is warranted.
Universities Offer Basic and Advanced Food Safety Education
Universities are often considered the "gold standard" for administering food safety learning. They offer significant scientific expertise and embrace an unbiased approached to communicating science-based information to students in a variety of settings. However, universities can sometimes suffer from being too focused in their scope of expertise and limited in the learning opportunities they offer. The extent of departmental or program focus on food safety at a university often dictates the magnitude of learning opportunities available, and this can vary drastically from one institution to another. Generally speaking, academic courses with a focus on food safety are commonly available to students attending universities. However, the applicability or relevance of this education to real-world food industry work may not be strong because of the heavy science focus of many of these courses.
Adult and professional learning can be quite different. Many universities, especially those with agricultural programs, offer some level of food safety training available to the food industry. These offerings are often made available through university extension programs, and can be an excellent educational resource and opportunity for industry professionals. Universities classified as land grant institutions where teaching, research, and outreach are established as core missions, commonly support the outreach mission by disseminating science-based information to off-campus stakeholders. As a result, many university extension programs across the U.S. serve as vehicles for disseminating science-based knowledge through a variety of different types of food safety trainings (i.e., short courses, workshops, webinars) intended to support their respective state's food industry. These trainings are commonly available to those beyond the borders of the state as well, making them an excellent opportunity for science-based, industry-focused food safety training.
One-to-three-day programs covering topics such as the principles of HACCP are regularly available to industry constituents. They serve as introductory food safety knowledge for some and a refresher to others. More advanced courses that incorporate the philosophical elements of HACCP (e.g., advanced HACCP workshops) or more applied curriculum for specific segments of the food industry (e.g., the meat sector) are also available for those looking to connect science to practice. These courses leverage the on-campus scientific expertise of food safety academics with the real-world working knowledge of off-campus industry experts to achieve food safety learning in a campus environment.
Trade Associations Specialize in Sector-Specific Education
Trade groups provide a host of food safety educational offerings ranging from webinars and learning modules to meetings, workshops, and other food safety events. They understand their sector's current food safety needs, challenges, and opportunities, and they leverage expertise within their membership and their networks of industry and academic food safety experts to provide uniquely impactful and timely learning options. With membership comprising much of the attendance at trade association gatherings, opportunities to network and engage in peer-to-peer food safety learning are abundant.
Third-Party Professionals Offer Tailored Expertise
Third-party professionals and consultants can provide significant educational opportunities for the food industry as part of their service portfolios. Companies and individuals offer an array of food safety services with direct to indirect educational elements. From developing and administering customized food safety training programs to conducting food safety audits where team members and employees are able to participate (and learn), all offer impactful experiences. If consultants are able to provide a tailored approach with a strong food safety focus and an impactful experience for trainees, then this can communicate a strong message to employees that a company views food safety as a high priority and invests in their employees as a key component to that priority.
Internal Programs Drive Culture
Internal programs within companies encourage the establishment and growth of a desired food safety culture from within, using familiar faces who are respected for their knowledge and experience. They serve as culture-driving champions for food safety initiatives, as well as leaders and role models for those with less developed food safety knowledge. Simply put, they are often considered a critical strategic tool for reinforcing a company's core values regarding food safety. Some companies may elect to utilize external resources to establish internal programs, while other companies elect to develop them from within. The value of establishing effective internal learning programs is the daily reinforcement of what is core and critical to meet food safety standards. These programs can be as simple or elaborate as desired; however, more straightforward programs generally result in a more direct and compelling employee experience, thereby yielding more impactful outcomes.
Which Approach is Best?
With all of these available resources and opportunities to advance food safety learning, which approach(es) should a company choose and why? This is a tricky yet important question requiring thoughtful pause, a holistic view, and consideration of company values and goals to arrive at the "right" answer. Considering the critical importance of food safety in the daily production of safe food, the simple answer might be that every employee should be thoroughly trained in food safety concepts from a combination of all training opportunities discussed above. A more realistic answer might be that every employee, regardless of background or job duties, should possess a basic and comprehensive understanding of (and appreciation for) the critical elements of food safety. This understanding can be achieved by strategic and ongoing training, utilizing a combination of the above educational opportunities. This strategic approach should translate into an individual having applicable and appropriate knowledge about food safety, believing in food safety, and actively supporting the food safety culture in their own company.
All of the learning tools described in this article are impactful on their own merits; however, when combined in a synergistic manner, they can result in a stronger, more dynamic, and more integrated food safety learning strategy.
Jeff J. Sindelar, Ph.D. is a Professor and Extension Meat Specialist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. For the past 16 years, he has administered an active Extension program supporting the Wisconsin and national meat industries, offering a variety of meat science, meat processing, and food safety workshops for members of the meat industry. His research focuses on improving the quality, sensory characteristics, and safety of processed meats. He is a member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and the American Meat Science Association (AMSA).
