A Guide for Conducting a Food Safety Root Cause Analysis
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem-solving with strong implications for helping identify and understand the central causes of events like food contamination and foodborne illness outbreaks. “A Guide for Conducting a Food Safety Root Cause Analysis” was published to encourage the use of RCA in food operations and by safety regulators.
Adopting RCA in food safety can help:
- Isolate the central “how” and “why” an event occurred.
- Clarify steps needed to correct the cause of a problem and prevent recurrence.
- Uncover weaknesses in food safety systems.
- Foster collaboration, trust, and knowledge-sharing among food producers, regulatory and nonregulatory agencies, and consumers.
This article is freely available from the Pew Research Center.
Last updated: May 3, 2023
