The SQF Food Safety Culture Assessment Plan Guidance Document makes a distinction every food company leader needs to understand: SQF Food Safety Culture is defined as how things are truly done "when no one is watching," not what's written in a binder. Under the framework known as RIO, Records, Interviews, and Observations, auditors are now trained to interview frontline staff directly, asking whether people feel safe reporting mistakes or hazards and whether they believe leadership genuinely cares about food safety. They'll also observe meetings and watch how supervisors interact with staff, looking specifically for signs of fear or silence rather than just reviewing logs. This shift, part of SQF Edition 10 effective for audits beginning February 2027, means the gap most companies need to close isn't between documented and actual procedures, most have already closed that one, it's between what culture says it values and what leaders actually signal under pressure. Catalyst Food Leaders works directly with organizations to close exactly that gap before it shows up in an audit. To learn more, visit https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com