The English language is weird. It is a hodge-podge mix of many languages that has evolved in transformative ways over the decades and centuries leading to today. As a result, it is full of ambiguous and tangentially similar terms that can simultaneously have very different meanings. Collectively, these linguistic idiosyncrasies can create substantial risk for your business and your customers. One area where we see frequent confusion is in the distinction between “cause” and “source.”
At first glance, the words “cause” and “source” may seem synonymous or interchangeable, and in many cases, they are. But when it comes to eliminating the presence of potential problems in a food processing environment, there are critical differences that can have profound consequences when not appropriately distinguished. More specifically, I am referencing these terms in the context of “root cause” or “root source” investigations. To make matters even more confusing, the word “root” can itself be synonymous with both source and cause. So … Let’s parse.