Since 2021, Food Safety Culture (FSC), or food safety culture, has been explicitly included in European food legislation. Companies must be able to demonstrate that food safety is a shared responsibility within their organisation. This includes, among other things, management commitment, risk awareness, communication between employees and sufficient resources to produce safely.

European controls in development

In a report published in 2026, the European Commission examines how Member States oversee these obligations. An inventory in 2025 shows that 18 of the 27 Member States include food safety culture in official inspections, although this does not happen everywhere across all food sectors.

However, implementation appears to be complicated. As many as 22 Member States report bottlenecks in supervision. In addition to limited capacity, the main issue is how aspects such as behaviour, awareness and engagement can be assessed objectively. Whereas compliance with hygiene rules is relatively easy to establish, company culture is harder to measure.

NVWA introduces Self-scan

To support companies in this, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) launched the Food Safety Culture Self-scan in June 2026. With this online questionnaire, food companies can assess how food safety is embedded within their organisation and where there is room for improvement.

The Self-scan provides insight into, among other things, employee engagement, communication and the example set by managers. After completing it, companies receive an assessment straight away with practical tips and advice.

The tool is free and completely anonymous. The NVWA does not store the results and they have no influence on supervision or enforcement. The Self-scan is intended solely as a tool to strengthen food safety culture within companies.

Practice in the oils and fats industry

Food safety culture is also receiving explicit attention within the European oils and fats industry. FEDIOL, the European trade association for the vegetable oils and protein meal industry, contributed in July 2026 to a study by the European Food Safety Authority EFSA.

FEDIOL emphasised that food safety culture goes beyond hygiene and microbiological risks. For the sector, chemical contaminants, traceability, food integrity (food fraud) and protection against intentional contamination (food defence) also play an important role.

Within FEDIOL-member companies, food safety is promoted through training, internal and external audits, risk analyses and certification systems, among other things. In addition, employees are encouraged to report deviations and near misses, so that problems can be addressed at an early stage.

From compliance to responsibility

According to FEDIOL, a mature food safety culture means that employees not only follow procedures, but also understand why they are necessary. This requires ongoing commitment from management and a working environment in which employees feel able to raise risks.

The European Commission has asked EFSA for scientific advice on food safety culture and its impact on microbiological food safety. This also brings further development of supervision into focus.