Performance of safety management systems in Spanish food service establishments in view of their context characteristics

► Results indicated distinct clusters of establishments differing in organisational support and safety management system performances. ► Largest cluster including all small restaurants showed lowest performance and limited organisational support: expertise, involvement, competences. ► Apparently sector guidelines were not used but adequate equipment for cooling, defrosting, and cooking are in place. ► FSE in smallest cluster showed organisational support, invested in best available equipment, acquired expertise for system design and evaluation. ► The study concludes that food authorities might target attention to specific groups of FSE to provide tailored support.