In food safety programs, few terms are mixed up as often, or as consequentially, as Corrective Action and Preventive Action. Managers use them interchangeably, auditors flag them repeatedly, and teams struggle to implement them effectively. The result? Recurring issues, frustrated staff, and systems that look compliant on paper but fail in practice. The truth is simple: If you don’t understand the difference, your corrective actions will keep failing. The confusion is not onl