Safety reliability optimal allocation of food cold chain

Yifeng Zou, Ruhe Xie, Guanghai Liu

Business School of Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.

DOI: 10.4236/as.2013.49B012                

Abstract

This paper applied the safety reliability of food cold chain logistics to establish reliability allocation model for cold chain systems, designed optimization algorithms, and made a case analysis. By applying system reliability allocation principle, this article firstly built safety reliability allocation model of food cold chain logistics system without cost constraint based on the safety reliability model of food cold chain logistics system, and then it set up optimal decision- making model of food cold chain logistics system with cost constraint using the functional relationship between the time, temperature of cold chain logistics and logistics costs. Next, according to the characteristics of the model, a heuristic algorithm was proposed to allocate safety reliability of the system to each cold chain unit so as to achieve the goal of operatingcosts optimization subject to assurance ofoverall safety reliability of the cold chain system. Taking the safety impact factor of food cold chain unit as a weight, the article also deduced the equation of reallocation of safety reliability of food cold chain system. In the end, these models were used to optimize the allocation of safety reliability in an example of Sushi cold chain process. It provided a new thought and method to optimally plan the unit safety of food cold chain system as well as reduce the cost of food cold chain.

Keywords

Cold Chain; Safety Reliability; Food Logistics System; Allocation Optimization

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Liu, B.L. (2004) Food preservation and cold chain. Chemical Industry Publishers of China, 163.
[2]	Adrie J. (2005) Food safety and transparency in food chains and networks. Food Control, 16, 481-486. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2003.10.010
[3]	Fearne, A., Hornibrook, S. and Dedman, S. (2001) The management of perceived risk in the food supply chain: a comparative study of retailer led beef quality assurance schemes in Germany and Italy. The Internaional Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 4, 19-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7508(01)00068-4
[4]	Van der Gaag, M.A., Vos, F., Saatkamp, H.W., Van Boven, M., Van Beek, P. and Huirne, R.B.M. (2004) A statetransition simulation model for the spread of Salmonella in the pork supply chain. European Journal of Operational Research, 156, 782-798. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00141-3
[5]	Aruoma, O.I. (2006) The impact of food regulation on the food supply Chain. Toxicology, 221, 119-127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2005.12.024
[6]	Tijskens, L.M.M. and Polderdijk, J.J. (1996) A generic model for keeping quality of vegetable produce during storage and distribution. Agricultural Systems, 51, 431- 452. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0308-521X(95)00058-D
[7]	Zwietering, M.H., De Wit, J.C. and Notermans, S. (1996) Application of predictive microbiology to estimate the number of bacillus cereus in pasteurized milk at the point of consumption. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 30, 55-70.
[8]	Zwietering, M.H. (2002) Quantification of microbial quality and safety in minimally processed foods. International Dairy Journal, 12, 263-271.
[9]	Rho, M.-J. and Schaffner, D.W. (2007) Microbial risk assessment of staphylococcal food poisoning in Korean kimbab. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 116, 332-338. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2007.02.006
[10]	Zou, Y.F., Xie, R.H. and Lin C.P. (2010) Study on safety reliability of foods cold chain logistics. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2010, 425-443.
[11]	Zeng S.K., Zhao T.D., Zhang, J.G., Kang, R. and Shi, J.Y. (2001) Design and analysis textbook of system reliability. Beijing Aerospace University Publishers, Beijing, China, 52-66.
[12]	Liu, G.H. (2007) Study on analysis of energy consumption and optimization of refrigerated transportation equipment. Doctoral dissertation of Central South University, Changsha, China.
[13]	Chen, L., Shen, J. and Zou, T.H. (2002) The frequency analysis on the temperature fluctuation of the cold store. Journal of Refrigeration, 4, 13-17.
[14]	Flores, S., Cleland, A.C. and Cleland, D.J. (2001) Prediction of the dynamic thermal behavior of walls for refrigerated rooms using lumped and distributed parameter models. International Journal of Refrigeration, 24, 272- 284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-7007(00)00018-9
[15]	Betts, G. and Everis, L. (1996) Shelf-life determination and challenge. CCFRA Guideline No. 11, CCFRA, Chip-ping, Campden, UK, 1996.
[16]	Li, M.Y. (2006) Study on the analysis of microbial ecology in chilled pork and shelf life predictive mode. Dissertation of Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China, 91-104.