Food Logistics Research Articles

Modeling a Green and Reliable Intermodal Routing Problem for Food Grain Transportation Under Carbon Tax and Trading Regulations and Multi-Source Uncertainty

This study addresses an intermodal routing problem encountered by an intermodal transportation operator fulfilling the food grain transportation order of an agri-food company. To enhance the environmental sustainability of food logistics, carbon tax and trading regulations have been employed to reduce the carbon emissions associated with transportation. Multi-source uncertainties, including the company’s demand for food grains and various parameters related to the intermodal transportation activities, are modeled via trapezoidal fuzzy numbers to optimize the comprehensive reliability of the solution. This work incorporates wastage reduction by lowering the wastage costs and formulating a wastage threshold constraint in intermodal routing. Accordingly, a fuzzy mixed-integer nonlinear programming model for a green and reliable intermodal routing problem for food grain transportation is proposed. To overcome the model’s insolvability and the difficulty in finding the global optimum solution to a nonlinear optimization model, a two-stage solution method is developed, employing chance-constrained programming and linearization technique to reformulate the initial model. A numerical case study is given to verify the feasibility of the proposed methods. Sensitivity analysis reveals the influence of confidence levels and wastage threshold, providing insights for the agri-food company to balance economics, reliability, and wastage reduction in food grain transportation. The numerical case study also analyzes the feasibility of carbon tax and trading regulations in reducing carbon emissions, concluding that carbon tax regulations consistently achieve greater reductions and are universally feasible. In contrast, the feasibility of carbon trading regulations depends on confidence levels and wastage threshold. The findings of this work could provide strong quantitative support for intermodal transportation operators and agri-food companies seeking to implement sustainable food grain transportation.

Optimization of Fresh Food Logistics Routes for Heterogeneous Fleets in Segmented Transshipment Mode

To address the challenges of environmental impact and distribution efficiency in fresh food logistics, a segmented transshipment model involving the coordinated operation of gasoline and electric vehicles is proposed. The model minimizes total distribution costs by considering transportation, refrigeration, product damage, carbon emissions, and penalties for time window violations. The k-means++ clustering algorithm is used to determine transshipment points, while an improved adaptive multi-objective ant colony optimization algorithm (IAMACO) is employed to optimize the delivery routes for the heterogeneous fleet. The case study results show that compared to the traditional model, the segmented transshipment mode reduces the total distribution costs, carbon emissions, and time window penalty costs by 22.13%, 28.32%, and 41.08%, respectively, providing a viable solution for fresh food logistics companies to achieve sustainable and efficient growth.

Optimizing food transportation processes for grocery stores across the US

In the rapidly evolving landscape of food logistics, optimizing transportation processes for grocery stores across the United States has become paramount to enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, perishable goods. This article examines the multifaceted challenges inherent in food transportation, including logistical complexities, environmental concerns, and rising operational costs. It highlights the importance of data-driven strategies, such as route optimization and machine learning algorithms, to improve delivery times and reduce waste. Additionally, the integration of advanced technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for temperature monitoring and automation in warehouse management, is explored to enhance the cold chain and ensure food safety. Moreover, the article emphasizes the critical role of strategic partnerships with third-party logistics providers and suppliers in streamlining operations and enhancing overall performance. Through in-depth case studies of successful grocery chains, it illustrates effective practices that have led to significant improvements in food transportation processes. The regulatory landscape surrounding food transportation is also analysed, underscoring compliance with safety standards and sustainability initiatives. Finally, the article looks ahead to future trends, including the potential impact of autonomous vehicles, blockchain technology, and sustainable practices on the food supply chain. By providing a comprehensive overview of best practices and innovative solutions, this article aims to equip grocery store operators and stakeholders with actionable insights to optimize their food transportation processes, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction and reduced environmental impact.

Research on time-varying path optimization for multi-vehicle type fresh food logistics distribution considering energy consumption

With the increasing demand for fresh food markets, refrigerated transportation has become an essential component of logistics operations. Currently, fresh food transportation frequently faces issues of high energy consumption and high costs, which are inconsistent with the development needs of the modern logistics industry. This paper addresses the optimization problem of multi-vehicle type fresh food distribution under time-varying conditions. It comprehensively considers the changes in road congestion at different times and the quality degradation characteristics of fresh goods during distribution. The objectives include transportation cost, dual carbon cost, and damage cost, subject to constraints such as delivery time windows and vehicle capacity. A piecewise function is used to depict vehicle speeds, proposing a dynamic urban fresh food logistics vehicle routing optimization method. Given the NP-hard nature of the problem, a hybrid Tabu Search (TS) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) approach is designed to compute an optimal solution. Comparison with TS and GA algorithm results shows that the TS-GA algorithm provides the best optimization efficiency and effectiveness for solving large-scale distribution problems. The results indicate that using the TS-GA algorithm to optimize a distribution network with one distribution center and 30 delivery points resulted in a total cost of CNY 12,934.02 and a convergence time of 16.3 s. For problems involving multiple vehicle types and multiple delivery points, the TS-GA algorithm reduces the overall cost by 2.94–7.68% compared to traditional genetic algorithms, demonstrating superior performance in addressing multi-vehicle, multi-point delivery challenges.

Research on Innovation of Food Logistics Supply Chain Management

In the context of globalization and constantly changing consumer demand, the management of food logistics supply chains has become increasingly complex and important. This paper mainly studies the problems and innovative methods in food logistics supply chain management, aiming to improve the efficiency and adaptability of the supply chain by optimizing management strategies. This paper adopts literature analysis and case analysis methods to analyze in detail the problems of information asymmetry, cost control, transportation efficiency, and inventory management in the food logistics supply chain. It proposes innovative supplier management models, digital management, modern supply chain management concepts, inter chain cooperation, and risk management solutions. Research has found that adopting information-sharing mechanisms and advanced information technology, as well as strengthening collaboration among various links in the supply chain, can effectively improve management efficiency and reduce operating costs. This study provides some useful references for food logistics enterprises in practical operation, helping them improve service quality and reduce operating costs in a fiercely competitive market environment, enhance market competitiveness, ensure food safety and freshness, and meet the growing needs of consumers.

Preparation and Characterization of Poly(lactic acid)-Based Poly(ethylene glycol) and Daphne Essential Oil-Loaded Smart Nanofibers for Thermal Protection.

Phase change material (PCM) stores latent heat energy, and poly(ethylene glycol) (Mw: 4000) (PEG 4000) is also a solid-liquid PCM. PEG and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymers are biodegradable. Essential oils are known as plant extracts with antimicrobial properties. In this study, daphne essential oil (DEO) obtained by the distillation method and PLA/PEG/DEO composite nanofibers were prepared by the electrospinning method with PLA, PEG 4000, and daphne (Laurus nobilis L.) essential oil in certain ratios (100/100/20, 100/120/20, and 100/150/20). DEO showed an antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Thermal behaviors of the nanofibers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Morphological features were observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), crystal behavior by X-ray diffraction analysis, and molecular structures were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Essential oil composition was determined by GC-MS. The thermal decomposition temperatures of the nanofibers were found between 250 and 276 °C, and the latent heat storage energies of nanofibers were 69.06, 86.76, and 96.39 J g-1 at temperatures 59.0 and 54.37 °C. High PCM added fiber was observed as 182 nm diameter with 3.264 μm diameter spheres. The produced nanofiber matrix has the potential to be used in applications such as medicine, textile, and hot food logistics.

Application of K-Means Clustering and OR-Tools to Optimize Rice Distribution: A Case Study of Perum Bulog Indonesia

Food security is one of the Indonesian government's priority policies aimed at maintaining economic and political stability. To ensure the nutritional needs of its population are met, the government requires sufficient food availability distributed nationwide at stable and affordable prices. Rice is the main staple food in Indonesia. According to data from the National Food Agency, rice consumption in Indonesia is very high, averaging 139 kilograms per capita per year, with a dependency rate of 97%. In response to food security challenges, the Indonesian government has entrusted the Food Supply and Price Stabilization Program (SPHP) for rice to Perum BULOG, a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) specializing in food logistics. To optimize distribution to Perum BULOG’s retailers, called Rumah Pangan Kita (RPK), efficient routes and transport capacity are prioritized. Therefore, this paper proposes an approach using the Heterogeneous Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (HCVRP) to enhance distribution efficiency and reduce delivery costs. By employing the K-Means algorithm to cluster RPK addresses and Guided Local Search via OR-Tools to determine suitable transportation types, this study successfully identified optimal delivery routes for each cluster and corresponding vehicle types. The results demonstrated a reduction in delivery costs of up to 21%, significantly improving the efficiency of the SPHP rice distribution process. This outcome ultimately supports rice availability and price stability, crucial for maintaining food security in Indonesia.

Humanitarian Food Logistics: An Inventory Model for World Food Program (WFP) Operations in Boko Haram-Controlled Areas

Humanitarian Food Logistics: An Inventory Model for World Food Program (WFP) Operations in Boko Haram-Controlled Areas

Environmental and economic assessment of industrial excess heat recovery collaborations through 4th generation district heating systems

The external use of excess heat from industrial processes is an important factor in the energy transition and 4th generation district heating is an enabling technology. This paper presents a calculation tool for assessing the economic feasibility and the environmental impact of collaborations between potential industrial sources and users. The tool supports the sizing of district heating pipe diameters, pumps, heat pumps, and heat storage systems. A distinctive feature of the model is the possibility of calculating carbon and blue water footprints, alongside economic indicators, for both existing stand-alone systems and potential collaborative configurations. Excess heat recovery from water-cooled condensers of refrigeration systems is evaluated for two case studies involving the space heating of offices in a food logistics hub and the heating of a greenhouse from a frozen pizza factory, respectively. Only the second collaboration is profitable with the baseline price of natural gas (0.04 €/kWh) and electricity (0.12 €/kWh), provided that the distance between the source and the user is less than 2 km. For higher gas prices, distances of approximately 8 km would be viable. However, for source-user distances above 5 km, the water footprint of the collaboration would be higher than that of stand-alone systems.

Cold Chain Logistics and Joint Distribution: A Review of Fresh Logistics Modes

With the continuous development of the global logistics industry, cold chain transportation and joint distribution, as critical strategies in supply chain management, are gradually becoming key means to ensure the safe transportation of perishable goods, pharmaceuticals, and other temperature-sensitive commodities. The present study is dedicated to an in-depth exploration of cold chain logistics and joint distribution, with a particular focus on a review of fresh food logistics modes, aiming to comprehensively understand their operational modes, advantages, challenges, and future development trends. The present study elucidates the basic concepts of fresh food logistics and underscores its significance in supply chain management. Through comparative analysis of different operational modes, it reveals their advantages in enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and mitigating environmental impacts. The present study focuses on the operational mode of joint distribution, discussing its application in cold chain logistics and its differences from traditional logistics modes. Through case studies and empirical analysis, it evaluates the impact of joint distribution on logistics efficiency and costs, as well as its potential to enhance transportation efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Lastly, the present study provides an outlook on the future development trends of cold chain logistics and joint distribution, discussing the influences of technological innovation, policy support, and industry collaboration and offering recommendations and prospects to drive the sustained development of the industry. Through a comprehensive summary of fresh food logistics, cold chain logistics operational modes, and joint distribution operational modes, this paper aims to provide in-depth theoretical support and practical guidance for related research and practices.

The influence of job embeddedness and organizational commitment on organizational citizenship behavior in BULOG

Job embeddedness means employee engagement in an organization through social networks, namely trust and cohesion. Embeddedness are all factors that involve employees in their work, this can happen if there is a match between work values and individual values and community values with individual values. Organizational commitment is an individual's loyalty to the organization. Those who have high commitment tend to persist more and have lower absenteeism than those who have low commitment. Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is part of the science of organizational behavior, OCB is a form of work behavior that is usually not visible or taken into account. BULO G is a state-owned public company engaged in food logistics. The company's business scope includes logistics/warehousing business, surveying and eradicating pests, providing plastic sacks, transportation business, food commodity trading and retail business. Based on the results of the analysis and discussion, this research uses Path Diagrams and Hypothesis Testing with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method using the SmartPLS 3.0 program. Based on this conclusion, Based on these results, it can be said that job embeddedness and organizational commitment have a significant effect on organizational citizenship behavior in BULOG employees.

Creating The List of Proposed Records to Be Destroyed In Records Retention Activities at Perum Bulog

BULOG Public Company (Perum BULOG) is a State-Owned Enterprise which operates in the food logistics sector and is responsible for the supply and distribution of basic commodities in Indonesia. In carrying out its activities, Perum BULOG produces various important documents and records such as agreements, accommodation, insurance, moving costs and logistics orders. Therefore, efficient records management is a must. One of the key elements in records management is retentention and disposition by destroying records that are no longer needed for efficient records storage. Before carrying out destruction, the organization must create a list of records proposed for destruction so that the recordss to be destroyed can have news metadata recorded and become a reference for vital recordss for the destruction event. This article discusses the process of creating a list of records proposed for destruction which is carried out at Perum Bulog with the aim of ensuring that records are stored properly according to their retention period, as well as maintaining the quality of records management so that they can support the organization's tasks more effectively.

PERAN PEMERINTAH DALAM MENJAGA KETERSEDIAAN BERAS DI PASARAN DI ACEH, INDONESIA: KAJIAN TEORI TAS'IR AL-JABARI

Availability of rice at a certain time can experience shortages due to various problems. Perum Bulog has the authority to address this by intervening. One of the interventions is in the availability of rice at the market. The way to stabilize the level of rice availability and price is by providing the intended rice and adjusting it to market demand, therefore the government has the right to determine the price according to the concept of tas'ir al-jabari. The concept of tas'ir al-jabari can be carried out by Bulog in handling rice shortages. The research used in this study is qualitative descriptive. Qualitative research is a method of research that aims to understand phenomena about what is experienced by the research subject, Bulog is a state-owned company that operates in the food logistics sector. This company has various businesses including logistics and storage, surveys and pest control, plastic bag provision, transportation, food commodity trading, and retail sales. As a company with a public duty from the government, Bulog continues to carry out activities such as maintaining the basic purchase price of paddy, stabilizing prices, especially the cost price, and distributing rice to the poor and managing food stocks. Bulog's intervention in the food sector, particularly rice, involves routine agency involvement in handling various problems that arise, including rice shortages. Bulog's intervention against rice shortages can only be carried out after receiving direct orders from Bulog's central office and the Ministry of Trade. One of the interventions carried out is by cooperating with the Agriculture Office, the Central Bureau of Statistics, and the Industrial and Trade Office to conduct market operations aimed at stabilizing the market condition and preventing rice shortages from occurring.

Access to a pre-sleep protein snack increases daily energy and protein intake in surgical hospitalized patients

Background & aimIn hospitalized patients, daily protein intake remains far below WHO requirements for healthy adults (0.8 g·kg-1·d-1) as well as ESPEN guidelines for patients (1.2-1.5 g·kg-1·d-1). Providing access to a pre-sleep protein dense snack between dinner and going to bed may serve as a great opportunity to increase daily energy and protein intake in hospitalized patients. However, it remains to be assessed whether protein provision prior to sleep effectively increases protein intake, or may reduce food intake throughout the remainder of the day(s). The present study evaluated the impact of giving access to a pre-sleep snack on daily energy and protein intake in patients throughout their hospitalization. MethodsPatients admitted to the surgical wards of the Maastricht University Medical Centre+ were randomly allocated to usual care (n=51) or given access to a pre-sleep snack (n=50). The pre-sleep snack consisted of 103 g cheese cubes (30 g protein) provided between 7:30 and 9:30 PM, prior to sleep. All food provided and all food consumed was weighed and recorded throughout (2-7 days) hospitalization. Daily energy and protein intake and distribution were calculated. Data were analyzed by independent T-Tests with P<0.05 considered as statistically significant. ResultsDaily energy intake was higher in the pre-sleep group (1353±424 kcal·d-1) when compared to the usual care group (1190±402 kcal·d-1; P=0.049). Providing patients access to a pre-sleep snack resulted in a 17% (11±9 g) higher daily protein intake (0.81±0.29 g·kg-1·d-1) when compared to the usual care group (0.69±0.28 g·kg-1·d-1; P=0.045). Protein intake at breakfast, lunch, and dinner did not differ between the pre-sleep and usual care groups (all P>0.05). ConclusionProviding access to a pre-sleep protein snack, in the form of protein dense food items such as cheese, represents an effective dietary strategy to increase daily energy and protein intake in hospitalized patients. Patients consuming pre-sleep protein snacks do not compensate by lowering energy or protein intake throughout the remainder of the days. Pre-sleep protein dense food provision should be implemented in hospital food logistics to improve the nutritional intake of patients. Trial register noNL8507 (https://trialsearch.who.int/)

Applying kansei engineering and text mining to design fresh food logistics services

ABSTRACT The study focuses on identifying the key drivers that can meet consumers’ perceptual demands for fresh food logistics services and how e-retailers balance changing demands. In this light, a service quality improvement approach integrating Kansei engineering and text mining is proposed to span the property and semantic space. The data from the Chinese e-commerce platform is used as 288 service scenarios. Meanwhile, GeoDetector and Kano model are used to build models and find priorities of services. The results show that consumers’ demands are fine-grained and hierarchical. Fresh, fast, affordable, reliable and satisfied demands are the rational. Convenient, thoughtful, pleasant, persistent and surprised demands are the perceptual. Most logistics attributes have a ‘1 + 1 > 2’ effect on consumers’ perceptual demands during the emergency period, and exposure safety and logistics persistence are most significantly affected, having a ‘weak + weak = strong’ effect. Additionally, must-be, one-dimensional, and attractive quality based on the kano model provide more targeted strategies to improve the input-output utility.

From COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine: evidence of a Schumpeterian transformation of food logistics

This study analyzes the changes that have occurred in food logistics in the three years since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the one year since the war in Ukraine commenced. Food logistics companies are highly sensitive to demand shocks, energy prices, and staff availability. In this study, “first-hand” information was collected in the Iberian Peninsula, and it showed a process of Schumpeterian transformation. This crisis environment in which food logistics companies have been operating has opened a unique opportunity to renew operating procedures and seek new solutions, products, and markets. Therefore, food logistics companies have developed more effective communication strategies and innovative, profitable, and forward-looking commercial strategies to adapt to the new needs of their clients, applied more efficient transport planning and management methods, implemented new technologies to increase automation and digitization in warehouses, transport platforms, and trucks, and boosted market concentration and investment in infrastructure. Therefore, public authorities and top executives must focus on promoting and facilitating these improvements.

Nanosensors from Logistics and Supply Chain Perspective: A Literature Review

Introduction: Nanosensors are one of the most recent technologies obtained from the nanoworld. They have enhanced properties with potential applications in a wide spectrum of sectors. They exhibit exceptional properties in temperature monitoring, hazardous gas and vapor detection, humidity detection, as well as pathogens, toxins, and chemical contaminant detection. Among various nanosensor applications, one of the most recent usages of nanosensor technology is in logistics and supply chain management (SCM). Aim: This study aims at investigating the potential of nanosensor technology from logistics &amp; SCM perspective, and specifically questions how can this technology contribute to food supply chains. Method: A systematic comprehensive literature review was conducted with the keywords: nanosensors &amp; logistics, nanosensors &amp; supply chain, nanosensors &amp; smart packaging, and nanosensors &amp; food logistics for the date range 2001-2022, covering a broad set of references. Findings revealed that nanosensors have significant potential in providing smart packaging, and improving traceability and visibility across all the logistics and SCM processes including end-to-end transportation and storage activities Result: Hybrids of different types of nanosensors with the existing material identification systems provide new levels of traceability and visibility in SCM, enabling accurate tracking of a variety of parameters. The study has shown that the intersection of nanotechnology and logistics &amp; SCM domains is still immature. Conclusion: This intersection is especially critical for food supply chains for meeting their special traceability requirements, and for serving food safety and organic food traceability across all stages of logistics.

Optimization of Rice Distribution Network Based on Green Logistics Concept

SDGs or Sustainable Development Goals have become a global and national commitment. Greenhouse gases (GHG) are indicators of climate change which is one of the 17 SDG’s goals. In the national food logistics system with rice as a staple food, there are some regions with surplus production and other deficits. Hence, the distribution involved the transportation activities that need to be carried out. In transportation, the carbon footprints are generated from exhaust gases as residue from the fuel combustion process. The carbon footprint efficiency is one of the indicators in green logistics. Green logistics for decarbonization in the transportation sector for a better environment has to start massively. Indonesia is committed to implementing the green logistics concept in logistics distribution. In this case, the author determined the surplus area and the deficit one based on statistical data on the production and consumption of each city in Java. Furthermore, a distribution network model is designed that involves emission level as a parameter in determining the route on the network. In the design, the selected mode of freight transportation was limited to land transportation modes besides trains. The design makes environmental aspects a major consideration in the distribution as well as the shipping costs.&#x0D; Keywords: carbon footprint, emission factor, green logistics

Assessing and selecting sustainable refrigerated road vehicles in food logistics using a novel multi-criteria group decision-making model

In recent years, food loss and waste (FLW) have become an essential issue at the top of the international community's agenda. Since more people are afflicted by this problem every day, the global population would be forced into poverty and starvation without finding an immediate solution. Therefore, in order to decrease FLW, well-designed and sustainable food and cold supply chains (FCSCs) are needed. Additionally, refrigerated transportation systems can be crucial in developing sustainable supply chains. According to some empirical research, the technological capabilities of reefer vehicles or trailers differ significantly. Thus, selecting the reefer vehicle is a complex decision-making problem and selecting appropriate reefer vehicles may have a critical role in constructing successful supply chain systems and reducing food waste and loss. The current research proposes an efficient, robust and practical decision-making framework that can overcome uncertainties to tackle this decision-making problem. The managerial and strategic implications of the study also aid in decreasing FLW and restructuring FSC for industrial context and support to the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs). Later, an exhaustive sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the developed model's validity and application, confirming the model's robustness and dependability.

Social procurement practices in food logistics: A case study of a South European food processing company

The covid-19 pandemic has shown how an unpredictable event may affect the sustainability of the entire food supply chain highlighting the need for a sustainable approach to food logistics. While existing literature has focused on production and consumption, little attention has been paid to measuring social sustainability in food transportation. This is a critical gap, as transportation plays a vital role in ensuring the timely and safe delivery of food. This paper proposes a novel approach to measure social sustainability in the context of food logistics within a South European food processing company. The focus is on assessing social procurement practices at the level of logistics suppliers. The methodology developed is based on two levels, seven dimensions, and twenty-one food logistics social sustainability indicators. To validate this, the methodology is adopted to assess the social procurement of five food logistics suppliers (FLS) of a European food company and found significant variations in performance across different dimensions. The results suggest that the dimension in which suppliers perform well are: “characteristics and work welfare”, “health of employees”, and “human rights implementation and integration”. On the other hand, the dimensions that score lowest for all suppliers are “diversity and equal opportunities”, “external stakeholder community capital”, and “innovation practices”. The strength of this methodology lies in its ability to quantify social sustainability in food logistics and its practical implementation within the food logistics company, as well as among its logistics suppliers, in terms of social procurement. The results offer valuable insights and suggestions for the case study food company to improve their consideration of social sustainability aspects in a more comprehensive and effective manner throughout their business operations.