Communicating imperceptible product attributes through traceability: A case study in an organic food supply chain
Lindh, Helena LU and Olsson, Annika LU
(2010)
In Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
25(4).
p.263-271
- Abstract
- Abstract in Undetermined
Companies in the food industry are driven to improve their traceability for several reasons. The primary reasons are food safety and quality. Another is the response to the increased interest among consumers in imperceptible product attributes such as organic, fair trade, dolphin-safe and non genetically modified (non-GMO). Such attributes are hard to distinguish and thus require generally enhanced traceability in order to verify their existence. This has led to an emergent area in which actors engage in gaining and maintaining traceability and communicating it to the consumers. This paper describes the relations between the actors in a supply chain (SC) in the field of organic food systems. It examines the... (More) - Abstract in Undetermined
Companies in the food industry are driven to improve their traceability for several reasons. The primary reasons are food safety and quality. Another is the response to the increased interest among consumers in imperceptible product attributes such as organic, fair trade, dolphin-safe and non genetically modified (non-GMO). Such attributes are hard to distinguish and thus require generally enhanced traceability in order to verify their existence. This has led to an emergent area in which actors engage in gaining and maintaining traceability and communicating it to the consumers. This paper describes the relations between the actors in a supply chain (SC) in the field of organic food systems. It examines the objectives each actor has for gaining and maintaining traceability throughout the SC. The focus on organic relates to the challenge for the companies to ensure this imperceptible product attribute throughout the entire food system. A single case study was conducted in an organic food system providing organic ice cream products. The data collection included semi-structured interviews, observations, a review of internal documents and a survey among the participating companies. The findings illustrate and elaborate on the objectives companies have for engaging in traceability. The objectives identified are divided into three categories: food safety and quality, managing the SC and internal resources and communication with consumers. The survey confirms the results from the interviews that all actors want to engage in traceability. They prioritize the objectives differently, however. The study highlights the value of close relations between the actors when addressing consumer concerns regarding product and process characteristics, such as the imperceptible organic attribute. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1599798
- author
- Lindh, Helena
LU
and Olsson, Annika
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2010
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- organic food, imperceptible product attributes, food system, food supply chain, case study, consumer communication, supply chain management, traceability: packaging, logistics, packaging logistics
- in
- Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
- volume
- 25
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 263 - 271
- publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000283802100003
- scopus:77958454553
- ISSN
- 1742-1705
- DOI
- 10.1017/S1742170510000281
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 5f14b18b-ff9c-4268-8c51-3d9847c83834 (old id 1599798)
- alternative location
- http://www.foreignpolicybulletinmonitor.com/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7911808
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 10:09:51
- date last changed
- 2022-01-29 19:53:41
@article{5f14b18b-ff9c-4268-8c51-3d9847c83834,
abstract = {{Abstract in Undetermined<br/>Companies in the food industry are driven to improve their traceability for several reasons. The primary reasons are food safety and quality. Another is the response to the increased interest among consumers in imperceptible product attributes such as organic, fair trade, dolphin-safe and non genetically modified (non-GMO). Such attributes are hard to distinguish and thus require generally enhanced traceability in order to verify their existence. This has led to an emergent area in which actors engage in gaining and maintaining traceability and communicating it to the consumers. This paper describes the relations between the actors in a supply chain (SC) in the field of organic food systems. It examines the objectives each actor has for gaining and maintaining traceability throughout the SC. The focus on organic relates to the challenge for the companies to ensure this imperceptible product attribute throughout the entire food system. A single case study was conducted in an organic food system providing organic ice cream products. The data collection included semi-structured interviews, observations, a review of internal documents and a survey among the participating companies. The findings illustrate and elaborate on the objectives companies have for engaging in traceability. The objectives identified are divided into three categories: food safety and quality, managing the SC and internal resources and communication with consumers. The survey confirms the results from the interviews that all actors want to engage in traceability. They prioritize the objectives differently, however. The study highlights the value of close relations between the actors when addressing consumer concerns regarding product and process characteristics, such as the imperceptible organic attribute.}},
author = {{Lindh, Helena and Olsson, Annika}},
issn = {{1742-1705}},
keywords = {{organic food; imperceptible product attributes; food system; food supply chain; case study; consumer communication; supply chain management; traceability: packaging; logistics; packaging logistics}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{263--271}},
publisher = {{Cambridge University Press}},
series = {{Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems}},
title = {{Communicating imperceptible product attributes through traceability: A case study in an organic food supply chain}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5477121/2597149.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1017/S1742170510000281}},
volume = {{25}},
year = {{2010}},
}