Food Supply Industry Research Articles

Establishment, operation and development of a donor human milk bank

Human milk is very valuable in premature infant nutrition. The collection, screening, processing and distribution of donor human milk are described in this report. These activities take place in the Donor Human Milk Bank (DHMB) of the Large Romagna Area (LRA) in Italy, the development of which is also described here. Over the years, the activities of this bank, which is located in Cesena Hospital, in the center of the LRA, have developed from an informal and domestic-level activity to become a multistep controlled process designed to prevent the possibility of disease transmission. This little food-supply industry, run by a multi-disciplinary team with strict rules and diverse responsibilities, complies with the Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system.

Firm and whole chain success: network management in the Ukrainian food industry

This article develops the theoretical foundations of supply chain network management in order to investigate the constructs surrounding whole chain success rather than just success at firm level. It is argued that the ‘network success’ link has been under-studied, with most empirical studies focusing on the achievement of goals by an individual firm in a network context. A model of the whole network's success in the context of supply chain networks in food industry supply chain relationships is used. The results identify that network-level goals must be considered alongside firm-level goals in supply chain networks. Furthermore, network-level goals are subject to the impacts of chain management and have to be of particular interest for focal firms that are responsible for the development and implementation of collective strategies.

Prestation logistique en produits frais et mesure de la valeur ajoutée client : le cas des industries agroalimentaires bretonne

Logistics service providers are one of the main players in the food industry supply chain. By offering a diversified range of services, the service provider responds in particular to the logistical concerns of the Breton agrifood industries in terms of transport costs, traceability and supply chain performance. Also, the article bases its research on the analysis of the customer added value brought by the logistics service provider to the manufacturer. This analysis is based on an empirical study carried out at the level of a territory: Brittany. The study carried out sheds light on the main determinants foreshadowing the construction of customer added value as well as their scheduling by the logistics managers of the Breton IAA. It also offers a mapping system whose objective is to highlight the performance of logistics providers in the field of positive refrigeration in a specific territory.

Overview of RFID Technology and Its Applications in the Food Industry

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is an alternative technology with a potential to replace traditional universal product code (UPC) barcodes. RFID enables identification of an object from a distance without requiring a line of sight. RFID tags can also incorporate additional data such as details of product and manufacturer and can transmit measured environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity. This article presents key concepts and terminology related to RFID technology and its applications in the food industry. Components and working principles of an RFID system are described. Numerous applications of RFID technology in the food industry (supply chain management, temperature monitoring of foods, and ensuring food safety) are discussed. Challenges in implementation of RFID technology are also discussed in terms of read range, read accuracy, nonuniform standards, cost, recycling issues, privacy, and security concerns.

Benchmarking Russian and Finnish food industry supply chains

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the differences between Finnish and Russian, namely Karelian, food industry supply chains. The main objective is to find out the reasons for low productivity in Russian food industry from supply chain management (SCM) point of view.Design/methodology/approachCase study method is used to compare the Russian and Finnish food industry supply chains. The comparison is carried out by using SCM scorecard. Furthermore, the comparison is supplemented with the data from non‐structured interviews with Russian food industry company managers. Altogether data from eight food industry companies in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, are gathered and four managers are interviewed. The results of the companies' SCM scorecard analysis are compared to the results of almost 100 Finnish food industry companies.FindingsThe research suggests that based on the SCM scorecard the differences between Finnish and Russian food industry companies' operational methods are modest. The difference in productivity can be rather explained by the differences in operating environment and the level of technology in use. Logistics costs for companies in Russia are estimated to be double compared to Finnish companies. Poor road conditions and underdeveloped 3PL are considered as main reasons of high‐logistics costs.Research limitations/implicationsConsidering the relatively low number and small size of the companies interviewed and taken part in the scorecard evaluations, more systematic research in the field is required. In addition, it should be mentioned that all interviewees seemed to be suspicious about intentions of the Finnish interviewer. Two interviewees openly asked if the research was aimed at commercial spying.Originality/valueConsidering the state, size and growth potential of Russian food market, the lack of research in the field is remarkable. This paper aims to bring new valuable information for both practitioners and academics while creating ground for future research in the field.

Developing a conceptual framework for assessing competitiveness of India's agrifood chain

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework and set of propositions to analyze competitiveness of India's agrifood chain. Nine components constitute the framework. These are identified on the basis of theoretical studies and expert consultations. Each component leads to at least one proposition.Design/methodology/approachThe framework is dependent on two major streams of management – value chain analysis (VCA) and strategic competitiveness. Porter's diamond at the industry level and Momaya's asset‐process‐performance (APP) model at the firm level provide the base for competitiveness discussions.FindingsThe framework comprises of “human” and “non‐human” components. They are more like members of a network where action of each has an impact on the other. By examining the roles of human components like national government, producers, processors, etc. and non‐human components like food quality, regulatory scenario, etc. side‐by‐side, this study breaks new grounds in exploring the synergy of VCA and competitiveness management.Research limitations/implicationsJournal papers based on Indian food industry's competitiveness or supply chain are very limited. There is also a dearth of literature on India's agrifood sector. This has reduced the scope for published references from India.Practical implicationsThe paper can serve as a reference point for researchers/students and other stakeholders interested in Indian food and retail industry. The framework has implications for developing countries like India that are exploring opportunities in global retail diffusions. It is also of use to researchers from developing economies where the role of “national government” can be significant in the development of an industry. The framework is built as a flexible and adaptable tool, which can suit other industry sectors with minor modifications.Originality/valueThe paper has attempted to create a common ground where the two theories of VCA and competitiveness are able to meet. An empirical validation of the framework can encourage more future research on this topic. This paper can also be used by researchers as a reference point for studies on Indian agrifood sector. The proposed framework can be used as an analytical tool by researchers to study similar industries from developing economies like textiles, leather, etc. that are unorganized.

An Empirical Investigation of EDI Usage and Performance Improvement in Food Supply Chains

The use of electronic data interchange (EDI) and related coordination activities among supply chain members can improve supply chain performance. This study examines the relationship between a number of variables relating to EDI usage and supply chain coordination activities and performance improvements in efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. Our main research questions are: (1) how does a firm's approach to its EDI implementation and supply chain coordination affect the type and amount of performance improvement? and (2) what factors are critical to the successful implementation of EDI? Using data from a survey of the food industry's supply chain members, we build logistic regression models to identify the most important factors relating to a successful EDI implementation and performance improvement. We find that, while several different factors contribute to the various aspects of the performance improvement, developing EDI systems with a focus on a firm's customers is critical to the improvement of all performance measures.

Feed Authentication as an Essential Component of Food Safety and Control

The protracted outbreak of mad-cow disease, repeated episodes of dioxin and mycotoxin contamination, and the issue of labelling genetically modified foods have severely shaken public confidence in the food supply industry, increasing consumer concerns about the origins of the raw materials used in both animal feed and food products. The need to develop improved techniques to characterize feed and food components has consequently become more urgent, and DNA-based technologies promise to be able to meet these needs. DNA methods can establish the origin of species in meat- and fish-based products and feed ingredients, and are the most reliable analytical approaches for authenticating processed foodstuffs. The identification of ingredients in processed feed and food is mandatory not only to ensure correct labelling and assessment of value, but also to avoid health risks related to the presence of toxic contaminants or pathogenic agents.

Improving logistics operations across the food industry supply chain

This paper explores ways of improving logistics and distribution supply chains within the food retail industry. It includes the concepts of logistics and supply chain as well as the new challenges in the food industry. The paper derives that business‐to‐business and e‐commerce are the ways of the future. The paper discusses the successes and failures of the industry. Its results reveal slow progress in accomplishing the goals of leaner supply chains and easier distribution.

Focusing on novel foods: Their role, potential and safety

Role and potential If we systematically consider the scope for sustainable and healthy human communities, we arrive at an extensive list of general and particular possibilities and roles for foodstuffs (Table 1).2 These range from how we might eat in a way to safeguard the future food supply, to food adequacy, for those with marginal intakes, to the reduction in the burden of disease at all stages of economic development, and to the complex array of health problems that may shorten lifespan and increase morbidity. Such an analysis provides much stimulus to the healthcare sector in its quest for more preventive, affordable and effective reductions in the burden of disease, and to the food supply industry, which seeks to provide foods in a way that is enjoyable, safe, secure and, hopefully, health-promoting, aside from being profitable.

New information and social trust: asymmetry and perseverance of attributions about hazard managers.

It has been argued that news about negative events has a much stronger effect on decreasing social trust than does news about positive events on increasing it. This asymmetry principle of trust was investigated in two surveys that also investigated the perseverance of trust. The possibility that established trust attributions persevere in the face of new information raises questions about the limits of trust asymmetry. The two studies yielded evidence that both type of news (good versus bad) and initial general trust in the nuclear power industry or the food supply industry affected level of trust. Compared to individuals trusting the industry, those distrusting the industry exhibited less trust following both bad and good news events. Study I also found that judged informativeness and judged positiveness of news events were affected by type of news and general trust of the industry. Individuals low in general trust of the nuclear power industry judged both bad news and good news as less positive than did those high in general trust. Those low in general trust judged bad news as more informative than good news and than did those high in general trust. An important implication of the perseverance of trust is to focus attention on including not only the effects of information about specific events and actions, but also on the judgment processes underlying social trust. The Salient Value Similarity model is suggested as one way of accounting for these psychological processes.

Network evolution and the growth of artisanal firms: a tale of two regional cheese makers

This paper explores the growth trajectories of two specialist food producers and the business networks in which they are embedded. The context is provided by a brief overview of today's complex and dynamic food industry supply chain, seen from the perspective of a small, craft-based firm. The sector chosen for this study, English regional cheese making, is characterized as displaying a long-standing tension between industrial and artisanal modes of production. The conceptual framework combines insights from the network and resource-capability literatures. This blend of ideas prompts several questions relating to the transfer and appropriation of artisanal knowledge in a network setting. The empirical section provides some illustrations of the processes in action. It charts the development of two regional farm-based cheese makers from their inception in the early 1950s up to the year 2000. The analysis identifies distinct ‘episodes’ characterized by significant structural and processual changes at both firm and inter-firm levels. A series of network maps is used to highlight the distinct pattern of linkages formed by each firm. The maps are supported by a commentary that draws on the managers' own perceptions of the changes, including the reasons why they occurred, and the consequences for their businesses. The discussion section points to underlying structures and mechanisms that appear significant in explaining the surface-level events. The paper concludes by outlining the practical implications for firms in similar situations and assessing the extent to which the findings may be generalized to other business networks.