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Food student's research aiming to transform industry safety attitudes

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A food student is already working to transform attitudes towards safety in the industry before graduation through her final year research project.

Rachel Maddocks, from Falmouth, Cornwall, decided to study at Ãå±±½ûµØ after finding advancement opportunities were being limited by her incomplete studies.

Having chosen to study a Natural Sciences degree in Chemistry and Physics after leaving school, Rachel left her degree two years in to follow her dream of becoming a pastry chef.

She spent almost a decade working in a series of high-end two AA-rosette and Michelin-listed hotels and restaurants – something which she says reinforced her passion for food.

However, the long hours, physical demands and high pressure of the industry led her to start considering new careers.

Rachel said: “After seven years in the industry, the impact on my health was becoming very clear, so I decided to leave cheffing and became a Quality Controller in a seafood manufacturing factory.

“I did this for a year and found I really enjoyed working in the manufacturing side of the food industry.

“I wanted to progress my career, but advancement opportunities were limited by my incomplete studies.”

While searching for a suitable option during clearing, she discovered a Food degree at Harper Adams - which looked to be a perfect fit.

She said: “It has been fantastic - it's been so engaging and given me a practical understanding of a variety of opportunities in the sector.

“The University provided great support through the transition from work to academia, and everyone has been very welcoming.”

During her time at Harper Adams, Rachel won a University award after staff were impressed by her oral presentation on her Honours Research Project.

The idea for the project was sparked by her time in quality control, where agency workers were often employed and food safety was paramount.

She said: “I experienced the difference between compliance-based ‘tick-box’ approaches to quality, and the true lived-experiences of food handlers.

“I worked with a lot of agency staff, and saw first-hand how their attitudes and behaviours, either positive or negative, had lasting impacts on the overall culture of the workplace.

“I chose to examine Food Safety Culture because it's something I'm passionate about and consider very important for the future of the industry.

“When I started researching the topic, I found that agency workers were completely overlooked by the current body of literature, despite the huge reliance on their labour across the sector.

“A good food safety culture is essential for businesses to provide safe, consistent products, so this gap seemed crucial to me.”

In a bid to tackle this gap, Rachel spent her spring talking to people across the food industry about their views on food safety culture – with a particular focus on the role of agency workers and staffing agencies. She hopes her research can be used to generate recommendations which will help staffing agencies and food manufacturing businesses work together to strengthen food safety culture.

Rachel added: “I think this project addresses a significant gap in current academic thinking - and has the potential to provide exciting insights into how agency workers could be used to help reinforce good practices through targeted training.”

With Rachel’s studies set to conclude this summer, she has already secured a further industry role, working for the Myton Group - but now in a role on a Graduate scheme.

She will take up the post in September when – all being well – she will also graduate from her Food Product Development degree.

She added: “It has been so exciting to be surrounded by people who share my passion and enthusiasm for the food industry.”