Food is not the same product as others. And although this could be said about other commodity groups as well, we are aware that the specific features of this group of products, such as: a specific and usually short shelf life, desired sensory characteristics, and consequently the need to ensure specific storage and transport conditions (and above all, the fact that they are food products that are components of the human diet), require it to be treated in a special way.
This also translates into the organization and management of food supply chains. Globalization processes are a significant factor of change. They affect not only food supply chains as they affect supply chains in general, but also changes in the food chain, which can be figuratively described as “from farm to fork”. When managing food supply chains, one must pay particular attention to the protection of human health. Hence, many legal acts have been established in the European Union, the most important of which are [11] and [12], to ensure food safety and consumer protection, which translate into legislation in member countries. The European Food Safety Authority – EFSA, established by regulation [11], also operates. Similar actions are also being taken outside the EU. In the USA, there are three main federal agencies: FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service), FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which play an important role in ensuring food safety. There is also a portal containing a complete set of current information on the ongoing work of these agencies, as well as many tips for the public regarding meal preparation and kitchen hygiene [3]. It is an important tool for A2C communication and social marketing. Furthermore, in 2009, President Barack Obama established the Food Safety Working Group (FSWG), which is an advisory body for improving the effectiveness of the American food safety system [4]. In ensuring food safety, its appropriate health quality, and compliance with hygiene rules in the supply chain, standardized systemic procedures play a fundamental role, such as: HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), BRC Global Standards, IFS (International Food Standard), SQF (Safety Quality Food), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), GDP (Good Distribution Practice), GHP (Good Hygienic Practice), GAP (Good Agricultural Practice).
All this proves that food products constitute a specific group of goods, and it is not just about their physicochemical properties, but primarily about their edible nature and consumer safety. Food supply chains are generally quite long if one takes into account primary production, i.e., the cultivation or breeding of primary products, including hunting, fishing, gathering plants and mushrooms growing in natural conditions, milking, etc., and then all subsequent stages of food production and distribution. Added to this is the great diversity of food products, including unprocessed and processed food, organic food, convenience food, functional food, genetically modified food, or synthetic food, as well as a huge number of products in individual assortment groups. One can therefore speak of the specificity of managing food supply chains, and the observation of global trends allows us to point to several significant changes taking place in these supply chains. The article draws attention to two significant and clear change processes related to ensuring safety in food supply chains and the development of e-commerce in food.
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Source: Logistyka Magazine 5/2012.