Supply Of Ingredients Research Articles

Cost-effective allocation of resources for monitoring dioxins along the pork production chain

The pork chain has been seriously affected by dioxin incidents in recent decades. Hence, monitoring dioxins is crucial for detecting contaminations in the pork chain. This study aims to develop a decision support tool (optimization model) to determine cost-effective monitoring schemes for detecting and tracing a dioxin contamination over multiple control points along the pork production chain.The optimization model considers four control points (i.e. at the supplier of fatty feed ingredients, the feed mill, the slaughterhouse and the fat melting facility) and a weekly monitoring period. It was applied to several hypothetical contamination scenarios involving contaminated animal fatty feed ingredients.The cost-effective allocation of resources for detecting and tracing the dioxin contamination from an integrated chain approach (i.e. considering all control points) focuses on monitoring at the feed mill, followed by the supplier of fatty feed ingredients and – to a lesser extent – by the slaughterhouse. The number of contaminated feed mills, the frequency of dioxin contaminations, the required level of effectiveness, and the cost of screening are main factors driving the total monitoring costs.Sharing the responsibility of monitoring dioxins within control points along the chain largely reduces the total monitoring costs. In each of the evaluated scenarios, the total costs of monitoring dioxins at individual control points are larger than the costs resulting from an optimal allocation of resources among all control points integrated in one overarching chain monitoring scheme. These results elicit the economic benefits of a chain approach to monitoring dioxins over an approach where each chain actor independently monitors dioxins. The developed model can be used by decision makers in the feed and food industry for determining optimal schemes for monitoring dioxins in the pork chain focusing on preventing specific contaminations.

Flocking To Japan

An aging population and a financially pressured health care system. These challenges for Japan are opportunities for foreign suppliers of pharmaceutical ingredients and manufacturing services. This was a key message from exhibitors at CPhI Japan, a drug ingredient trade fair that took place earlier this month in Tokyo. Health care costs are rising as Japan’s population ages, and foreign companies are being welcomed to help reduce what the Japanese pay for pharmaceuticals, exhibitors said. But they also warned that signing up new clients requires patience and that the country’s quality requirements are unique in the world. “An older population requires more pharmaceuticals,” said Hans-Joachim Rohe, president of the Japanese unit of Catalent, a supplier of gelatin capsules and other drug formulation technologies. Over the next 10 years or so, 6 million more Japanese citizens will be over the age of 65, Rohe noted. And in part because of this aging ...

The Role of Human Resource Management in Strategy Making

AbstractAmong the strategy scholars, there is general consensus that responsive‐integrative strategy making is essential for ensuring a competitive advantage in contemporary dynamic environments. What is the role of HR in this process, and how can HR support responsive‐integrative strategy making? To answer these questions, we use illustrative experiences from Chr. Hansen, a global supplier of bioscience‐based ingredients to the food, health, and animal feed industries. We argue that HR's strategic role lies in providing support for both centralized and decentralized strategy making by offering aspirations for strategic decisions and by gathering various sources of inspiration for strategy discussions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contract Pharma Grows In China

The nondisclosure agreement is a defining feature of business between drug companies and the firms that supply their chemicals. It reflects a culture of secrecy that makes pharma companies loath to reveal their suppliers of fine chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). It’s not surprising, then, that unsubstantiated anecdotes abound in any discussion of trends in contract manufacturing of pharmaceutical chemicals. One of the most prominent claims lately has been that business is looking up in Europe and the U.S. because a lot of the work that used to be outsourced to China is returning to the West. Fine chemicals firms claim that Western drug companies have learned through experience that doing business with a supplier on the other side of the world is not as much of a bargain as had been perceived. The firms also argue that drug companies have growing safety concerns following scandals such as the ...

7th International Symposium on Deep‐Fat Frying, San Francisco, CA (USA): Recommendations to enhance frying

The European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids (Euro Fed Lipid) and the American Oil Chemist's Society (AOCS) hosted the 7th International Symposium on Deep-Fat Frying from February 20–22, 2013 in San Francisco. The program was held at the Radisson Fisherman's Wharf and featured 20 speakers. The symposium was attended by 86 persons from all over the world. The aim of the most recent symposia in San Francisco, USA, 2005 and Hagen, Germany, 2011 was to help processors, food service operators, regulators, suppliers, and academics to better understand the frying process in the light of a worldwide emphasis on health and wellness and concerns about the effect of fried products on obesity. Rather than condemning the frying process, the key has been to improve the efficiency of the frying process, to understand the performance of the new generation of healthy oils (low- and no trans) oils better, and even to look to the past for lessons on how to do things better. Food processors, restaurant operators, and suppliers to these industries, which include oil producers, food and ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and the service trade have to understand that they must not only produce foods that are safe and wholesome, but that the food also has to taste good and be healthy. The pressure on the industry is great, but the understanding of the process and technologies, the markets and the demands of the business can help to build the bottom line. In this context the following important points for improving the frying process were discussed: The above presented recommendations and findings are a summary of the presentations of the “7th International Symposium on deep-frying in San Francisco USA 2013” presented by the below listed experts: A. Elizabeth Sloan (San Diego, CA), James Coughlin (Aliso Viejo, CA), Richard F. Stier (Sonoma, CA), Veronika Somoza (Vienna, Austria), Bertrand Matthäus (Detmold, Germany), Roman Przybylski (Alberta, Canada), Monoj Gupta (Richardson, TX), Christian Gertz (Hagen, Germany). James Padilla (San Francisco, CA), Linda Brugler (Baton Rouge, LA), Robert Brannan (Athens, OH).

Quality Measures in Baking

Assessing the quality of baked products requires the measurement of physical and chemical characteristics, textural properties, and attributes related to food safety and nutrition. Because many properties are related to the raw materials, they must be carefully screened for contaminants using specialized measurement techniques. This often requires communication in the form of certificates of analysis between the supplier and baker. Bakers need to take control of the physical and sensory qualities of their final product by specifying their own process settings and materials rather than relying on ingredient or equipment suppliers. Keeping detailed and consistent process data is vital to understanding what is happening during the baking process and obtaining the desired final product, and recording data is especially important when the process is operating smoothly. The importance of consistent bread quality to the sandwich industry, which has very small tolerances regarding slice size, shape, texture, and ...

OEM’s value through ingredient co-branding strategy: a case in the energy industry

Purpose of the paper : despite the increasing popularity of ingredient branding strategies, little is known about the industrial customers’ perception of ingredient co-branding strategies in industrial contexts. The purpose of this study is to investigate this issue, which together with brand image and responsiveness can be considered antecedents of industrial customers’ loyalty. Methodology : the results are drawn from an e-mail survey sent by the authors to a sample of Italian customers of a multinational ingredient supplier in the electric-energy industry. A factorial analysis and a linear regression are implemented to isolate the perceived co-branding value and to identify its impact on the customers’ loyalty. Findings : the perceived co-branding value is a unique construct that - together with brand image and responsiveness - strongly predicts the loyalty for all of the ingredient supplier’s customers. Originality and limits : this paper contributes to the understanding of the role of ingredient co-branding in the buyer-seller relationship in an industrial context. Nevertheless, the research presents some limits: it is conducted in one industry and in one country only. Thus, caution is required before generalizing the results. Practical implications : the findings suggest that co-branding strategies are effective in reinforcing buyer-seller relationships. Key words: ingredient co-branding, business-to-business markets, customer loyalty, co-branding value

Collection and Dissemination of Exposure Data Throughout the Chemical Value Chain: A Case Study from a Global Consumer Product Industry

ABSTRACT The human and environmental safety of chemicals in formulated consumer products has for decades been important for product manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. However, prior to the mid-1990s, the underlying product safety data were largely not publicly available. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chemical Right-to-Know Program and a related program of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development have since been the catalysts for the broad dissemination of standardized hazard datasets for thousands of high production volume (HPV) chemicals in commerce around the globe. The formulated consumer products industry took the additional step of developing and summarizing the science around exposure to their products, largely cleaning products and personal care products, in order to be able to characterize and communicate the safety of their products. Perhaps even more significant was the collection and circulation of information surrounding the habits and practices of product use, and ingredient concentrations in products. The objective of this article is to detail the methods used for collection of this information by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), and the process by which hazard and exposure information may be used in screening-level risk assessments. These data and methods appear in a number of ACI's publications (http://www.aciscience.org).

The Benefits of Using Rapid Indirect Heating on Grain and Flour Products

Sophisticated and precise indirect heat treatment technologies offer a variety of benefits for ingredient suppliers and manufacturers, including higher product quality, a wider range of products and new products, and reduced maintenance and energy costs associated with manufacturing. Convective, radiant, and conductive heat treatments are reviewed. Thin-film solids heat exchangers are highly versatile and effective processors, providing a valuable tool for the cereal processing industry and transforming the theory of heat treatment reactions into economical processing performance. These devices are especially valuable in light of the movement toward clean labels, improved natural raw material functionality, and use of all components of whole grains. With the continued rise in energy costs, this efficient heat transfer method provides additional value.

AHP Approach for Supplier Evaluation and Selection in a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Firm in Ghana

In today’s highly competitive environment, improper evaluation and selection of the right suppliers can hinder an organizations supply chain performance. The aim of this study is to present a suitable methodology for the evaluation and selection of suppliers in a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm in Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to use the Analytic Hierarchy Process methodology to select the most appropriate raw material suppliers of the artemether-lumefantrine anti-malarial drug for the case study organization. A review of literature identified quality, cost, reliability, regulatory compliance, risk, financial position and supplier profile as the most important criteria for supplier selection. The study however used the three criteria of quality, price and reliability/capacity for selecting the best suppliers. The results suggest that the AHP makes it easier to evaluate, rank and select efficient suppliers for manufacturing firms in a timely and reliable manner. Based on the research findings, the quality selection criterion is most favoured, followed by reliability/capacity, and price. Regarding the selection of the suppliers, the research recommended S & D Chemicals as the best supplier of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Hellmuth Carroux as the best supplier of Excipients for the case study firm.

Fine Chemicals Firms Find Generics Niche

Western suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have no generic strategy for generic drugs. Many firms offer a menu of standard generics, generating a steady cash flow to offset the vagaries of their more lucrative but riskier exclusive synthesis ventures. Others avoid generics, viewing them as a source of constant price wars with Indian and Chinese suppliers. Still others have amassed a portfolio of higher-value generic APIs, often referred to as niche generics. Priced at a premium and sometimes offered via exclusive contract to drug and biopharmaceutical companies, niche generics have much in common with exclusively synthesized, patented APIs. Although they are not protected by patents and in principle can be manufactured by anyone, many niche generics require innovative chemistry of the sort that may elude Asian competitors. Several API producers in the U.S. and Europe say niche generics have increased in importance in recent years, given the drop in ...

A RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENT TO EXAMINE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENT USE AMONG DAILY SMOKERS: TAKING SUPPLEMENTS REDUCES SELF‐REGULATION OF SMOKING

This letter is a reaction to the paper by Chiou and others, in the December 2011 issue of Addiction, on how the use of dietary supplements may induce illusory invulnerability that, in turn, disinhibit smoking [1]. The findings run counter to other research findings of large population samples regarding healthy behaviors of individuals who consume dietary supplements regularly. Recent analysis of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data finds that dietary supplement use is associated with the avoidance of smoking among American consumers [2,3]. NHANES is a large government program designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. Furthermore, the Healthy Habits of Supplement Users and Non-Users survey found that a larger proportion of non-users smoke cigarettes (26% versus 15%, respectively) [4]. Even if there is a potential ‘licensing’ effect that causes a small portion of dietary supplement users to smoke more, the large body of evidence suggests that this does not trump the overall healthier habits of supplement users, including full avoidance from smoking. This leads to the question that if individuals in the study took dietary supplements continuously (not just a placebo), would they be more prone to stop smoking and live healthier life-styles? The outcomes of the study may not be generalized, as the prevalence and attitudes towards smoking are different in this subpopulation of undergraduate Taiwanese students. The study may have also induced bias among the participants, as it was not a blind study (the undergraduate students knew which treatment group they were in as well, as the proposed hypothesis of the study). The authors of this study should consider monitoring the long-term benefits of actual dietary supplement use in university students as a mechanism to help them develop healthier life-style habits. The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973 and based in Washington, DC, is the leading trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. CRN companies produce a large portion of the dietary supplements marketed in the United States and globally. Our member companies manufacture popular national brands as well as the store brands marketed by major supermarkets, drug store and discount chains. These products also include those marketed through natural food stores and mainstream direct selling companies. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements, our 70+ manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to voluntary guidelines for manufacturing, marketing and CRNs Code of Ethics.

Support for small-scale food processors in developing countries in a changing global food supply

Changes in world food supplies over the last 30 years are having a profound effect on small-scale processors in developing countries, marginalizing some and providing new opportunities for others. This paper examines the trends that are taking place, opportunities for small-scale food processors and the constraints that restrict their development. The paper recommends improvements to support provided by educational and research institutes in developing countries and the establishment of a new supply service to overcome constraints in the supply of specialist equipment, packaging materials and ingredients.

US Dietary Supplement cGMPs: Ingredient Supplier Qualification

Published by the US Food and Drug Administration in June 2007, current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) for dietary supplements (21 CFR Part 111) are now mandatory for all firms that manufacture, package, label, or hold dietary supplements for sale in the United States. Ingredient supplier qualification remains one of the most critical, yet least understood, aspects of the regulation. The increasingly global supply chain and multiple instances of supply chain failures that have led to adverse consequences have elevated the need for proper supplier qualification. However, FDA’s expectations for supplier qualification remain unclear, and there is little knowledge of what constitutes industry best practices. Following the precedent set by other FDA-regulated industries, the dietary supplement industry has formed a consortium to address the knowledge and practice gap regarding supplier qualification. The group has developed a series of voluntary guidelines to assist ingredient suppliers and dietary supplement manufacturers with the qualification process. These guidelines, some of which are still under development, are intended to serve as tools or templates on which a firm’s own qualification program or standard operating procedures can be based. It is hoped that these guidelines will serve as the basis for future FDA guidance or rule making, should the need arise.

Essential actions for caterers to promote healthy eating out among European consumers: results from a participatory stakeholder analysis in the HECTOR project

To identify and assess actions by which the catering sector could be engaged in strategies for healthier eating out in Europe. A SWOT analysis was used to assess the participation of the catering sector in actions for healthier eating out. Caterers subsequently shortlisted essential actions to overcome threats and weaknesses the sector may face when engaging in implementing these actions. Analysis undertaken in the European Union-supported HECTOR project on 'Eating Out: Habits, Determinants and Recommendations for Consumers and the European Catering Sector'. Thirty-eight participants from sixteen European countries reflecting a broad multi-stakeholder panel on eating out in Europe. The catering sector possesses strengths that allow direct involvement in health promotion strategies and could well capitalise on the opportunities offered. A focus on healthy eating may necessitate business re-orientations. The sector was perceived as being relatively weak in terms of its dependency on the supply of ingredients and lack of financial means, technical capacity, know-how and human resources. To foster participation in strategies for healthier eating out, caterers noted that guidelines should be simple, food-based and tailored to local culture. The focus could be on seasonal foods, traditional options and alternative dishes rather than just on 'healthy eating'. Small-to-medium-sized enterprises have specific concerns and needs that should be considered in the implementation of such strategies. The study highlights a number of possible policy actions that could be instrumental in improving dietary intake in Europe through healthier eating out.

POLICING THE PHARMA SUPPLY CHAIN

TWO YEARS AFTER adulterated heparin produced in China killed 81 people in the U.S., Western drug companies, their ingredient suppliers, and regulatory agencies are aligning efforts against unsafe imports. Sources in all quarters agree that the heparin case heightened public awareness of a safety threat and provided a wake-up call to drugmakers, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and other regulators. But guarding the global pharmaceutical supply chain against contaminated or unsafe ingredients has proved daunting. An illustration that the problem continues to plague the industry surfaced earlier this year with the news that the Swiss drug manufacturer Acino recalled batches of the drug clopidogrel. The company took action when an inspection of its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supplier in India, Glochem, revealed falsified batch documentation (C&EN, Aug. 23, page 23). “You can’t imagine how frustrating it is,” says Guy Villax, chief executive officer of Hovione, a Portuguese pharmaceutical chem...

EUROPE’S BEAUTY RACE

COSMETICS COMPANIES and their ingredient suppliers are exploring new ways to test the safety of hair conditioners, toenail polish, and everything in between. Just like makers of pesticides, food ad...

The global biopharma industry and the rise of Indian drug multinationals: Implications for Australian generics policy

This article provides a synopsis of the new dynamics of the global biopharma industry. The emergence of global generics companies with capabilities approximating those of 'big pharma' has accelerated the blurring of boundaries between the innovator and generics sectors. Biotechnology-based products form a large and growing segment of prescription drug markets and regulatory pathways for biogenerics are imminent. Indian biopharma multinationals with large-scale efficient manufacturing plants and growing R&D capabilities are now major suppliers of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and generic drugs across both developed and developing countries. In response to generic competition, innovator companies employ a range of life cycle management techniques, including the launch of 'authorised generics'. The generics segment in Australia will see high growth rates in coming years but the prospect for local manufacturing is bleak. The availability of cheap generics in international markets has put pressure on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) pricing arrangements, and a new policy direction was announced in November 2006. Lower generics prices will have a negative impact on some incumbent suppliers but industrial renewal policies for the medicines industry in Australia are better focused on higher value R&D activities and niche manufacturing of sophisticated products.

MUMBAI TRAGEDY Terrorism disrupts chemical and pharmaceutical industries

The terrorist attack that unfolded in Mumbai late last month is disrupting the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, if only temporarily. The city is the business hub of a country that is both a market for and a supplier of many pharmaceutical ingredients and research services. Rafael Beaus, a former president of AFAQUIM, Spain’s fine chemicals association, was seriously injured in the leg by metal fragments while in the lobby of the Taj Mahal Hotel with his wife Rosa Maria, who was also hurt. So far, however, it appears that very few others from the chemical or drug industries were harmed in the attacks, which killed at least 170. “Many captains of Indian industry were killed at the Taj, but I haven’t heard of anyone from our industry,” says Zerxes Lashkari, president of the Mumbai-based chemical consulting firm YezPer Consultants. Lashkari doesn’t expect many businesspeople to cancel trips to India. “Terrorism happens everywhere,” he says. The ...

PICKING UP THE PIECES

IN 2004, when suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) were several years into a prolonged slump, the management of a generic API plant operated by BASF in Cramlington, England, sensed it was the right time to launch a new fine chemicals business. The group acquired the site through a management buyout and formed Aesica. By 2006, the contract API sector had started to rebound, fueled in part by drug companies closing or selling their manufacturing plants and shifting production to third-party suppliers. Aesica took advantage of this trend and acquired two other sites in England—an API plant from Merck & Co. and an API and formulation facility from Abbott Laboratories. Other pharmaceutical chemical companies have acquired unwanted big pharma API plants, but Aesica is the first contract manufacturer built solely out of discarded drug industry assets. Now it has set out on a potentially more difficult task: creating the relationships with major drug companies ...