Food Safety Traceability Systems in the Maritime Catering Logistics

Basem Azmy Saad Boutros, Mahmoud Mahmoud Hewedi, Kevin R. Roberts, Farida M. Megahid

Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics, College of Human Ecology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA.
Hotel Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Hotel Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Menoufia University, Sadat City, Egypt.

DOI: 10.4236/fns.2014.515158                

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.

Keywords

Food Safety Traceability, Cruise Ships, Traceability Systems, Logistics

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Dickinson, B. and Vladimir, A. (2008) Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry. 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, 68-73.
[2]	Vogel, M., Papathanassis, A. and Wolber, B. (2012) The Business and Management of Ocean Cruises. 1st Edition, CAB International, Massachusetts, 3.
[3]	Lois, P., Wang, J., Wall, A. and Ruxton, T. (2004) Formal Safety Assessment of Cruise Ships. Tourism Management, 25, 93-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(03)00066-9
[4]	Gibson, P. (2006) Cruise Operations Management. 1st Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, Massachusetts, 20.
[5]	Véronneau, S. and Roy, J. (2009) Global Service Supply Chains: An Empirical Study of Current Practices and Challenges of a Cruise Line Corporation. Tourism Management, 30, 128-139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.05.008
[6]	Cruise Lines International Association (2014) CLIA 2014 State of the Cruise Industry Report. CLIA, New York, 1. http://www.cruising.org/sites/default/files/pressroom/Infographic.pdf
[7]	The World Health Organization (2001) Sanitation on Ships: Compendium of Outbreaks of Foodborne and Waterborne Disease and Legionnaires’ Disease Associated with Ships 1970-2000. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/ships/en/shipsancomp.pdf?ua=1
[8]	McCarter, Y. (2009) Infectious Disease Outbreaks on Cruise Ships. Clinical Microbiology Newsletter, 31, 161-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinmicnews.2009.10.001
[9]	Mouchtouri, V., Bartlett, C., Diskin, A. and Hadjichristodoulou, C. (2012) Water Safety Plan on Cruise Ships: A Promising Tool to Prevent Waterborne Diseases. Science of the Total Environment, 429, 199-205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.04.018
[10]	Waterman, S., Demarcus, T., Wells, J. and Blake, P. (1987) Staphylococcal Food Poisoning on a Cruise Ship. Epidemiology and Infection, 99, 349-353. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2249300/pdf/epidinfect00005-0124.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268800067820
[11]	Azara, A., Piana, A., Sotgiu, G., Dettori, M., Deriu, M., Masia, M., Are, B. and Muresu, E. (2006) Prevalence Study of Legionella spp. Contamination in Ferries and Cruise Ships. BMC Public Health, 6, 1-6. http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-6-100.pdf
[12]	Dahl, E. (2006) Norovirus Challenges Aboard Cruise Ships. International Maritime Health, 57, 230-234. http://www.imh.mug.edu.pl/attachment/attachment/5271/R24.pdf
[13]	Marucheck, A., Greis, N., Mena, C. and Cai, L. (2007) Product Safety and Security in the Global Supply Chain: Issues, Challenges and Research Opportunities. Journal of Operations Management, 29, 707-720. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2011.06.007
[14]	Said, B., Ijaz, S., Kafatos, G., Booth, L., Thomas, L., Walsh, A., Ramsay, M. and Morgan, D. (2009) Hepatitis E Outbreak on Cruise Ship. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 15, 1738-1744. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/11/pdfs/09-1094.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1511.091094
[15]	Weaver, A. (2005) The Mcdonaldization Thesis and Cruise Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 32, 346-366.
[16]	The World Tourism Organization (2010) Cruise Tourism: Current Situation and Trends. Madrid, UNWTO. http://pub.unwto.org/WebRoot/Store/Shops/Infoshop/4860/F69B/DDF8/6297/2C04/C0A8/0164/E2F3/ 110111_cruise_tourism_excerpt.pdf
[17]	Folinas, D., Manikas, I. and Manos, B. (2006) Traceability Data Management for Food Chains. British Food Journal, 108, 622-633. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00070700610682319
[18]	Regattieri, A., Gamberi, M. and Manzini, R. (2007) Traceability of Food Products: General Framework and Experimental Evidence. Journal of Food Engineering, 81, 347-356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2006.10.032
[19]	Wu, L., Xu, L. and Gao, J. (2011) The Acceptability of Certified Traceable Food among Chinese Consumers. British Food Journal, 113, 519-534. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00070701111123998
[20]	Mai, N., Bogason, S., Arason, S., árnason, S. and Matthiasson, T. (2010) Benefits of Traceability in Fish Supply Chains-Case Studies. British Food Journal, 112, 976-1002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00070701011074354
[21]	Engelseth, P. (2009) Food Product Traceability and Supply Network Integration. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 24, 421-430. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/08858620910966291
[22]	Sperber, W. (2005) HACCP Does Not Work from Farm to Table. Food Control, 16, 511-514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2003.10.013
[23]	Matsuda, T. (2007) Gap as a Baseline, Traceability as a Pipeline to Build Consumer Confidence. Food and Fertilizer Technology Center, 5-15. http://www.agnet.org/library.php?func=view&id=20110721113951&type_id=2
[24]	The Food Marketing Research and Information Center (FMRIC) (2008) Handbook for Introduction of Food Traceability Systems (Guidelines for Food Traceability). 2nd Edition, FMRIC, Tokyo, 1. http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/seisaku/trace/pdf/handbook_en.pdf
[25]	Smith, G., Tatum, J., Belk, K., Scanga, J., Grandin, T. and Sofos, J. (2005) Traceability from a US Perspective. Meat Science, 71, 174-193. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2005.04.002
[26]	Golan, E., Krissoff, B. and Kuchler, F. (2004) Food Traceability: One Ingredient in a Safe and Efficient Food Supply. USDA, Economic Research Services, 2, 19. http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/129805/2/featureFoodTraceability.pdf
[27]	The Food Standard Agency (FSA) (2002) Traceability in the Food Chain. 19-47. http://multimedia.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/traceabilityinthefoodchain.pdf
[28]	Stringer, M. and Hall, M. (2007) A Generic Model of the Integrated Food Supply Chain to Aid the Investigation of Food Safety Breakdowns. Food Control, 18, 755-765. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2006.01.008
[29]	Chrysochou, P., Chryssochoidis, G. and Kehagia, O. (2009) Traceability Information Carriers, the Technology Backgrounds and Consumers’ Perceptions of the Technological Solutions. Appetite, 53, 322-331. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.07.011
[30]	Xiong, B., Fu, R., Lin, Z., Luo, Q., Yang, L. and Pan, J. (2010) A Solution on Pork Quality Traceability from Farm to Dinner Table in Tianjin City, China. Agricultural Sciences in China, 9, 147-156. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1671-2927(09)60078-X
[31]	Senneset, G., Forås, E. and Fremme, K. (2007) Challenges Regarding Implementation of Electronic Chain Traceability. British Food Journal, 109, 805-818. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00070700710821340
[32]	Sauvage, T. (2003) The Relationship between Technology and Logistics Third-Party Providers. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 33, 236-253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09600030310471989
[33]	Lee, D. and Park, J. (2008) RFID-Based Traceability in the Supply Chain. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 108, 713-725. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02635570810883978
[34]	Kros, J., Richey, R., Chen, H. and Nadler, S. (2011) Technology Emergence between Mandate and Acceptance: An Exploratory Examination of RFID. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 41, 697-716. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09600031111154143
[35]	Kück, M. (2006) Chill-On: Ideas and Solutions to Improve Food Quality, Safety and Traceability. http://www.ttz-bremerhaven.de/images/ttzdateien/pdf/publikationen/New-Chill-On-brochure-with-latest-achievments.pdf
[36]	Finn, M., Walton, M. and Elliott-White, M. (2000) Tourism and Leisure Research Methods. Pearson Education, Harlow, 81.
[37]	Miao, M. (2010) Critical Success Factors for Implementing Traceability Systems in Chinese Food Enterprises. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, 99-101. http://uobrep.openrepository.com/uobrep/bitstream/10547/135312/1/miao.pdf
[38]	Zhang, X., Zhang, J., Liu, F., Fu, Z. and Mu, W. (2010) Strengths and Limitations on the Operating Mechanisms of Traceability System in Agro Food, China. Food Control, 21, 825-829. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2009.10.015
[39]	McMeekin, T., Baranyi, J., Bowman, J., Dalgaard, P., Kirk, M., Ross, T., Schmid, S. and Zwietering, M. (2006) Information Systems in Food Safety Management. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 112, 181-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2006.04.048
[40]	Poghosyan, A., Gonzalez-Diaz, F. and Bolotova, Y. (2004) Traceability and Assurance Protocols in the Global Food System. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 7, 118-26. http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/8154/1/0703jo01.pdf
[41]	Bechini, A., Cimino, M., Lazzerini, B., Marcelloni, F. and Tomasi, A. (2005) A General Framework for Food Traceability. Proceedings of the Symposium on Applications and the Internet Workshop, Trento, 31 January-4 February 2005. http://www2.ing.unipi.it/~r000099/publications/cimino_pub17.pdf
[42]	van Rijswijk, W., Frewer, L.J., Menozzi, D. and Faioli, G. (2008) Consumer Perceptions of Traceability: A Cross-National Comparison of the Associated Benefits. Food Quality and Preference, 19, 452-464. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2008.02.001