A framework to assess the challenges to food safety initiatives in an emerging economy. (15th February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mangla, Sachin Kumar; Bhattacharya, Arijit; Yadav, Alok Kumar; Sharma, Yogesh Kumar; Ishizaka, Alessio; Luthra, Sunil; Chakraborty, Ratula
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 284(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-02-15
• Subjects: Food safety -- Supply chain management -- Best worst method -- DEMATEL -- Emerging economy -- Sustainability; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124709
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Emerging economies, e.g. India, China and Brazil etc., face challenges to adopt food safety (FS) practices in their food supply chains. Considering food industry's operations and processes, this study identifies 25 challenges to the FS initiatives involving the opinions of practitioners from six major Indian food producers and academic experts. The challenges are grouped into five categories, viz. organisational, government and policy, global, knowledge and financial. We identify the best and worst challenges to the FS initiatives along with causality among them using combined Best Worst Method (BWM) and 'Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory' (DEMATEL) approaches. BWM prioritises these challenges, while DEMATEL identifies causal relationship maps for the prioritised challenges. The BWM results demonstrate that the government and policy related challenges are the key challenges followed by the organisational, global, knowledge and financial related challenges. The DEMATEL results exhibit the organisational, government and policy, and global related challenges as the cause group challenges. The knowledge and financial related challenges represent the effect group challenges. Mitigation of these challenges inherently necessitates stakeholders' involvement in the food supply chains. We identify constructs for food safety initiatives policy in the emerging economies to raise public awareness while encouraging greater collaboration and efficiency in food supply chains to help achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for securing food for everyone. The results of the study offer guidance and deeper insights to supply chain managers about synergy requirements between the government policymakers and key players of the industry in the emerging economies. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: To meet demand for safe and secure food, food industries face several challenges. The research identified 25 challenges relating to food safety. BWM is applied to prioritise the challenges. DEMATEL evaluates the challenges through causal and impact relationship maps. This work assists business managers in meeting the goals of sustainable and healthy food.