Highlights from the 9th Global Food Safety Training Survey
1 April 2026 | Bertrand Emond, Culture Excellence Lead
This is the 9th Global Food Safety Training Survey that we have organised with Culture Strategies Group in collaboration with BRCGS, IFS, Kiwa, NSF, Registrar Corp, SGS, SQF and TSI – providing a global analysis of the situation and trends in food safety training.
The survey was set up in 2013 to respond to the need for benchmark data on training, so that participant and other companies could compare themselves and discover best practices.
Here we summarise the 2026 key findings. We also outline the biggest training challenges that were highlighted by the survey, as overcoming these could facilitate significant improvement for individual businesses and the industry as a whole.
Who took part in the survey and what it covered
Responses received were from over 3000 sites worldwide, covering a wide range of sectors and company sizes within the world of food and drink and beyond. Just over 75% of participant businesses were in food and beverage manufacturing. Many were in associated industries, such as agriculture, packaging, distribution, retail and food service, plus 2.8% ‘non-food manufacturing’.
The survey covered: budget; amount of training (for staff, supervisors, senior staff and temporary/agency staff); competency framework; how training is delivered and reinforced; how training records are documented and managed; training goals, needs and challenges; impact of training; onboarding; the role of supervisors; cross-training; professional development; food safety culture; and advanced training technologies.
What the survey findings say about training in the food and drink industry
Although the results are better than 2024, the takeaway for the industry is that there is still room for improvement, including making time for training, following best practice to improve training effectiveness and drive positive behaviours/motivation, and leveraging technology.
Specifically, the key findings were as follows:
| Aspects of training being surveyed | Findings |
|---|---|
| Documenting and managing employee training records: |
|
| Using a competency framework defining knowledge, skills and behaviours required for each job role: |
|
| Learning management / training team includes cross-functional team members to ensure training programme meets the needs of the entire organisation: |
|
| Using examples from own production facilities (photos, videos, instructions, etc.) to ensure the training reflects the work environment where the employees will be performing their work: |
|
| Using continuous and updated analytical data to assess training effectiveness and guide continuous improvement in training content: |
|
| Having a programme for professional development / career-path development for supervisors: |
|
| Assessment of training comprehension: |
|
| Use of advanced training tools / technologies: |
|
Respondents’ views of their training programmes
Around 3 out of 5 rated the quality of their overall training programme as sufficient (getting the job done). Around a 1/6 of respondents rated it as poor and acknowledged that they could do better for full time staff and over 1/4 for temporary/seasonal staff.
Interestingly, over 1/3 of respondents think that their training has no impact on staff retention, with 1 in 17 think that it actually has a negative impact.
Worryingly, only 2/3 of respondents think that their training programme has a positive impact on productivity, and 1 in 6 do not see any positive return on investment from their training programme.
The biggest training challenges
Clearly, many could do better and there is a need to get the basics right and make more time for training.
Capability/competency frameworks are currently under-used and could drive improvements – as could the use of technology and tools to help increase training effectiveness (such as through organisation, management, tracking, delivery, communication, evaluation). Ultimately, improvements will come from driving and sustaining positive behaviours.
The top 5 biggest training challenges highlighted in the survey were as follows:
- Scheduling time for training
- Making training engaging
- Assessing training effectiveness
- Resources / staff to manage training delivery and documentation
- Providing job specific training
On a positive note, nearly 95% of respondents claim that they understand what it takes to build and sustain a strong food safety culture. That is a good start.
How we can help
How does your training compare?
You can sign up to take part in the next survey, and take regular surveys as a tool to track developments, highlight trends and help develop solutions.
We can support your skills and knowledge development through our training courses, on-demand e-learning, seminars and events. We also provide tailored training specific to individual business needs – either at our site or yours.
Our Culture Excellence programme - that we run in partnership with TSI Taylor Shannon International - is a fantastic tool which has been developed specifically for assessing, characterising, strengthening, and benchmarking safety and quality culture at manufacturing, retail, food service, DC and support/corporate sites.
About Bertrand Emond
Bertrand has a wealth of knowledge, experience and connectivity from working here at Campden BRI since 1988. Bertrand has a Master's in Food Science & Technology (Dijon, France) and a Master's of Business Administration (Bath, UK).
Bertrand is passionate about supporting the industry in the areas of skills, knowledge, training, learning and development, competency and achieving culture excellence through behaviour change. He won the 2020 BRCGS CEO Europe Award recognising his commitment and contribution to food safety and the 2014 Heinz Award for Excellence for Leadership in Collaborative CPD for the Industry (in particular for his role in supporting competency and CPD, promoting the food industry as a career of choice, and providing collaboration between all stakeholders).
Your partner for skills and knowledge development
Interested in our training courses, find out more...
Need support with developing your food safety and quality culture?
We offer a Culture Excellence program and can support you in addressing your findings.
