TITLE:
Food Safety Traceability Systems in the Maritime Catering Logistics
AUTHORS:
Basem Azmy Saad Boutros, Mahmoud Mahmoud Hewedi, Kevin R. Roberts, Farida M. Megahid
KEYWORDS:
Food Safety Traceability, Cruise Ships, Traceability Systems, Logistics
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.5 No.15,
August
27,
2014
ABSTRACT:
This
paper aims to explore food safety traceability in the onboard food and beverage
operations on cruise ships through a case study approach. Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with galley and foodservice staff. Additionally, a
self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed to logistics managers
and employees of three Egyptian cruise companies. Results indicated that cruise
ships in this study use paper-based and manually-entered (electronically
stored) data traceability systems. Managing food safety by effective product
recall, complying with legislation, and improving product quality are among the
most important perceived benefits identified by foodservice staff. Maintaining
a good reputation, ensuring food safety, reducing foodborne illnesses,
suppliers' commitment to quality specifications, and maintaining guest
confidence are considered the most important benefits from implementing a food
traceability system. The results also depicted that the challenges managers
face implementing or improving a food traceability system included high cost,
absence of unified traceability standards between cruise companies and food
suppliers, shortage of skilled staff, and lack of knowledge and satisfaction
with current foodservice operation systems onboard cruise ships. Other findings
elucidated that the critical success factors for implementing traceability
included strict food traceability legislation, ensuring the adequacy and
correctness of traceability information, adopting a food traceability system by
the cruise company management, the standardization of food traceability
information identification, and technology support for food traceability
systems implementation from government. Other factors were reported of less
importance. This research concluded the urgent need for more cooperation
between cruise companies, food suppliers, and relevant governmental authorities
to adopt food traceability systems and the need of authorizing and setting
compulsory standards and regulations.