Food Safety: Wicked Problems

In 1973, Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber—then professors at UC Berkeley—published a paper that quietly revolutionized how we think about complex challenges. At the time, the dominant belief was that all problems could be solved, probably using mathematics or engineering, and that once solved, the problem went away.

Rittel and Webber flipped that perspective on its head.

They distinguished between “tame” problems, those solvable with technical methods, and a broader realm of “wicked” problems, which resist simple solutions. 

Rittel and Web characterized wicked problems by traits like:

• No fixed definition,

• No clear endpoint,

• Evaluation as better or worse rather than true or false,

• One-shot decisions with significant consequences, and

• Accountability for planners with no “right to be wrong.”

Instead of engineering models, they proposed planning as an argumentative process, where stakeholders shape both the understanding of the problem and its solutions through dialogue.  Food manufacturing is a wicked problem.

Food Safety in Manufacturing: A Wicked Domain

Food safety, including microbial risks, allergens, chemical hazards, and sanitation breakdowns, is a wicked problem. Attempts to "fix" one hazard may expose another. Changes in suppliers, processes, or pathogens shift the risk landscape. The problem never stays static, and no single action resolves it permanently.

Thus, food safety demands continuous management. It’s not a problem you solve once and forget.

Solving Unsolvable Wicked Problems

Taming wicked problems in food and beverage operations plants starts with building systems that evolve alongside your facility. The elements below work together to capture, connect, and act on critical information across your plant.

1.  Build Out a Holistic Facility Information Tracking System

Think of this system as the plant's nerve center. It integrates:

• Environmental and equipment data (e.g., temperature, hygiene, sanitation),

• Maintenance logs (e.g., equipment service, calibration schedules),

• Personnel training and compliance records,

• Supplier and raw material information (like certificates of analysis).

This digital “single source of truth” mirrors the participatory planning approach: multiple stakeholders contribute critical information that evolves over time.

2. Treat Tracking as Iterative, Dynamic, and Participatory

Any update in ingredients, equipment, personnel, or cleaning protocols should automatically trigger review workflows and alerts. This embodies the wicked-problem principle: solutions evolve, not finalize.

• Automated threshold alerts (e.g. temps out of range),

• Scheduled recalibration flags,

• Supplier change triggers.

Real-time record updates ensure the system remains alive and useful rather than archived.

3. Enrich Documentation & Reporting Architecture

Tracking isn’t just for visibility—it’s documentation and accountability. All critical control points (CCPs), deviations, corrective actions, maintenance interventions, and training events should be automatically time-stamped, recorded, and archived. This supports compliance, audit readiness, and long-term learning.

4. Leverage MES and ERP Integration Where Relevant

When possible, integrate the facility-tracking system with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) or ERP platforms. MES systems record real-time process data, including batch yields, downtime, quality checks, CCP deviations, and create an “as-built” data record essential in food safety environments. ERP integration helps align planning, inventory, supplier, and quality data across your organization.

5. Keep the expertise in-house

Rather than relying solely on external consultants, ensure frontline operators and sanitation teams can input data and feedback directly. This reflects the wicked-problem principle: diverse voices surface assumptions and evolving risks that planners alone might miss.

Plant Management System Features Overview

Bottom Line

Food safety in manufacturing is not a tame puzzle, it’s a wicked problem. To manage it effectively, you need:

• A digital facility information tracking system that integrates data,

• Continuous, automated responsiveness to change,

• Collaborative inputs across teams, and

• A living record of hazards, interventions, and learnings.

Rather than a one-time fix, managing food safety means continuously documenting, reviewing, adapting, and rallying all stakeholders around an evolving, shared understanding.

About the Author

Bill Brodegard is a food safety and quality leader who’s spent over a decade guiding major food brands like Driscoll’s, Ajinomoto, and Schwan’s to build exceptional safety and quality programs. With a background in food science and a law degree focused on FDA/USDA regulations, Bill has combined hands-on experience with deep regulatory knowledge to drive meaningful change.

Now, Bill is channeling that experience into helping growing food businesses create outstanding food safety and quality systems. Because great food safety isn’t just for the big players—it’s for everyone who wants to build trust and deliver excellence.