We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Scientific American tackles food supply chain safety
Forward Thinking

Scientific American tackles food supply chain safety

October 1, 2007
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

Companies should insist that food suppliers impose strict standards and even send inspectors overseas to verify compliance with quality standards for imported food products, writes Mark Fischetti in the September issue of Scientific American magazine. His article notes that terrorist plots, increasing imports of food from around the world, and centralized production are raising the chances that food will become tainted. Preventing contamination in the food supply chain will require tightening physical plant security and processing procedures.

Technology can play a role in assuring food safety, according to the article. Application of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on pallets and cases, for instance, can help to identify which farm or processing plant produced and handled the products.

Researchers are working on ways to make this technology even more useful in the food supply chain. For example, the University of Florida is developing tags that can be read through fluids and hence could be embedded in the walls of beverage and dairy food containers.

Although governments have been called upon to safeguard the food supply, the article suggests that the onus for preventing contamination rests with food suppliers and supply chain managers. Shaun Kennedy, deputy director of the U.S. National Center for Food Protection and Defense, is quoted as saying, "The strongest tool for stopping intentional contamination is supply chain verification."

[Source: "Is Your Food Contaminated?" Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, September 2007: pp. 112?117.]

    • Related Articles

      CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly recognized by American Society of Business Publication Editors

      IBM extends blockchain platform for food supply chain

      Disruptions, plant shutdowns weigh on food supply chain

    Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

    Logistics Plus arranges gas pipe delivery to war-torn Ukraine

    Raising temperatures of cold storage warehouses would cut emissions, Lineage says

    Schneider Electric aims to decarbonize the semiconductor supply chain

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Walmart to open fifth “next-gen” fulfillment center in 2026

    • 53% of procurement leaders expect to increase their spending in 2024

    • U.S. faces permanent labor shortage, says University of Tennessee economist

    • Pepsi exec highlights four key structural changes in the supply chain

    • What skills will you need in the Age of AI?

    Featured Video

    Edge2023 innovationtheater here technologies

    CSCMP EDGE 2023 Innovation Theater: Enabling Peak Performance in Last-Mile Delivery Through Private Mapping and Custom Routing - HERE Technologies

    CSCMP EDGE 2023
    At HERE Technologies, we understand the hypercompetitive world of e-commerce, retail, and parcel delivery is increasing in complexity every day. End customers demand ever-increasing delivery performance levels regarding on-time arrivals, flexibility in delivery schedules, pricing and payment options, and more....

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Balancing Act: How Freight Brokers Help Shippers Navigate Uncertainty

    • Quarterly Freight Data Report: Q3 2023

    • A Brighter Future: How COVID-19 Continues to Change Freight Procurement Strategies for the Better

    • Five questions to ask before electrifying your indoor forklift fleet

    View More

    Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

    Get Your Subscription
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • E-NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing