A study published in August 2024 by InDeRe Institute researchers in the journal Applied Food Research investigated the effectiveness of food safety self-inspection systems in institutional catering. The findings indicate that internal controls play a crucial role in daily operations, but they are not always capable of uncovering actual risks on their own.
The study monitored ten school kitchens over a four-month period. Researchers used a 45-question checklist covering eight food safety areas, ranging from receiving and storing incoming goods to personal hygiene, dishwashing, cleaning, and food waste management. Each month, the kitchens were evaluated by three parties: the local catering manager, the organization's internal auditor, and an external auditor. This structure allowed for a comparison of how daily operational participants and independent experts viewed the same processes.
The results showed clear discrepancies. While local managers rated the kitchens' compliance at an average of 94.7% and internal auditors at 93.6%, external auditors' average was only 79.6%. The largest differences were observed in personal hygiene, storage practices, cleaning, and disinfection processes. The research suggests that employees and internal inspectors tend to evaluate their own practices more favorably than they are in reality. This can pose a particular risk in routine operations that become so habitual that errors are harder to detect.
The most important message of the study is that self-inspection remains an indispensable element of the food safety system, but its effectiveness can be significantly enhanced by regular, independent external audits. According to InDeRe researchers, true improvement requires not only more inspections but also more objective evaluations, targeted feedback, and control solutions that are better aligned with practical operations.
András Bittsánszky PhD
