The food industry in Ireland

The 1970s saw a transformation in the economic position of the food and agricultural sector of the Irish economy. Prior to membership of the EEC, the development of Irish agriculture had been severely curtailed by the limited market opportunities that faced food exports from Ireland. The prospect of membership of a large and prosperous European Community brought a new era for the food sector. These new market opportunities coincided with, and gave incentive to, a technological revolution in food processing in Ireland. The extent of this change can be most graphically seen from a comparison of the small local creameries which played a major role in dairy manufacturing in the 1960s with the large, sophisticated plants of the 1970s.     

Perspectives of gatekeepers in the Kenyan food industry towards genetically modified food

Attitudes and perceptions of stakeholders are crucial in the acceptability of GM foods. Past research focussed on consumers, but paid little attention to the food industry and its gatekeepers, especially in Africa. Therefore, a survey was conducted covering 39 respondents from the milling industry and supermarkets, the main processors and distributors of maize products, in seven urban centres of Kenya. Respondents, mostly from senior management, were well educated and had a good knowledge of biotechnology. Their major sources of information were the media for the supermarkets, and brochures and the food industry for the milling companies. Respondents generally appreciated the benefits of biotechnology, but had concerns about the environment, although few people considered GM food harmful to human or animal health. Most respondents found traceability of GM products important, but would prefer not to label them because of the costs and possible negative consumer reactions. Respondents were largely non-committal on the use of GM products in their companies, preferring to decide on a case-by-case basis. The few negative responses, mostly from the milling industry, were affected by high risk and low benefit perceptions. Most respondents do not like the idea of labelling GM food. Better communication between research and the food industry is now needed, and more research on the labelling of GM products.     

Reengineering the production planning process in the food industry

This paper addresses managerial process reengineering and in particular the reengineering of the production planning process. The reengineered process highlights planning options to avoid the process imbalance and loss of production potential that can follow innovation in a facility that is fully committed to JIT production.The study was motivated by production problems following product innovation within the food industry but the reengineering conclusions and procedures are applicable to all similarly structured industries. An example based on data from a snack food manufacturing company illustrates the reengineered procedure for a plant that is typical of the food processing industry.     

Supplier involvement in new product development in the food industry

Purchasing and supplier involvement as one possible explanatory factor of product development success has been gathering growing attention from both managers and researchers. This paper presents the results of a Dutch benchmark study into supplier involvement in product development, and discusses the topic more specifically in the context of the food industry. Regarding supplier involvement, this industry has not been studied intensively, although its specific characteristics make continuous development of new products imperative and the amount of outsourcing of production and development has increased substantially. The benchmark was conducted by means of an existing framework which has not yet been applied to the food industry. The food company in the benchmark study performs consistently better than companies from other industries. At the same time, the results of a similar case study carried out at a Scandinavian food company show contradictory results. By comparing the Dutch and the Scandinavian case, we illustrate that our analytical framework can explain these different results in terms of the underlying processes and pre-conditions, thereby validating its application to the food industry.     

Factors affecting the management of interdisciplinary research in the pharmaceutical industry

The author uses the results of recent published behavioural research on team effectiveness as a framework to analyse the problems of managing R&D in pharmaceutical development. The research points to a large number of factors as having a potential impact on managing such R&D which is inescapably multi- or inter-disciplinary in nature. Some such factors may originate outside the team, some within. External factors include organizational climate, R&D decision-making environment, system maturity and organizational form (type of matrix); internal factors include span of responsibility of team members, disciplinary differentiation, task uncertainty, extent of fulfilment of Belbin roles and a significant requirement for flexibility of style on the part of the manager.
The author's conclusion is that achieving effective management of R&D teams in the pharmaceutical R&D environment requires attention to all these factors. The extent to which integration of different disciplines is achieved is symptomatic of the degree to which these factors are understood and attended to.     

The role of intermediaries in cross‐industry innovation processes

In this article, we investigate the role intermediaries play in the cross‐industry innovation process. Intermediaries are external institutions that support companies in their innovative activities. They are frequently used to bridge gaps between different industries. Our research focuses on the question of which capabilities an intermediary should have in order to achieve success in initiating a cross‐industry innovation. Our empirical base consists of a survey of 107 European manufacturing companies and an analysis of six collaborative cross‐industry innovation projects. The company survey is used to identify the capabilities an intermediary should have during each of the three phases of the innovation process. The cross‐industry projects, each of which involves a Swiss or a German industrial company and an intermediary, provide us with analyzable data. We conclude our study by identifying three types of intermediary: the innovation broadener, the innovation leverager, and the innovation multiplier.     

食品包装机械行业进入整合提升阶段

中国食品和包装机械行业是在市场经济环境下成长起来的一个新兴行业。据不完全统计，到目前为止，食品和包装机械行业在国内有近6000家企业，其中有2000多家不够稳定，每年有近15%的企业转产或倒闭，但又有约15%的企业加入这个行业。业内人士认为，目前国内食品和包装机械行业已进入整合提升的阶段，企业应加强品牌的培育，提高新产品、新技术的研发能力。     

The economic implications of using HACCP as a food safety regulatory standard

This article discusses the nature and role of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) as a food safety control system and, in particular, its role as an element of public food safety regulation. The notion of efficiency in food safety regulation is discussed and related to the nature of food safety controls. It is suggested that, if appropriately applied, HACCP is a more economically efficient approach to food safety regulation than command and control (CAC) interventions. The economic implications of HACCP are discussed with reference to estimates of the costs and benefits, in particular for the food industry. Finally, the use of HACCP as an international trade standard and the facilitation of trade in processed food products is considered.     

Investments in tracking and tracing systems in the food industry: A PLS analysis

Traceability and related concepts, such as trust and transparency have gained greatly in relevance in food supply chains. This study seeks to answer what exactly determines firms’ investments in traceability systems by developing and testing a theoretical framework using partial least squares methodology and empirical data from 234 companies of the German food industry.The results reveal that high external pressure to implement improves the image of tracking and tracing systems in the sense that their use enhances a firm’s status, increases the intention to use those systems and fosters their perceived usefulness in the eyes of agribusiness executives. The hypothesized negative effect of costs on perceived usefulness and the intention to invest could not be verified.     

绿色环保-食品包装印刷的必由之路

食品包装是现代食品工业的最后一道工序。起着包装、保护、美化、宣传和方便食品储藏、运输与销售的重要作用。在一定程度上，食品包装已经成为食品不可分割的重要组成部分。但是，目前我国食品包装行业面临的形势却不容乐观，市场上很多食品包装材料难以符合国家对食品安全、卫生和环保等方面的要求，如溶剂的毒性和残留量、重金属含量等，不但危害人们的身体健康，     

What will we eat tomorrow? UK food industry and its market

An OECD report on Food Marketing and Economics stated in 1970 that ‘the basic direction of development … is towards a food industry dominated by a limited number of large, efficient, dynamic, market oriented companies’. This is certainly so. In the UK from one to three companies already account for from 60 to 96% of the sales of a wide range of processed foods (biscuits, breakfast cereals, bread, frozen fish, frozen vegetables, ice cream, margarine, potato crisps, sugar, tea, tinned fruit and tinned soups). Out of £362 million spent on advertising in 1973, £88 million was spent on food, more than on any other product category. Undoubtedly the food industry is influencing to an increasing extent what people eat, and their nutrition. An extensive report on the status of the UK food industry and many of its sectors, British Food Profile¹, was released in 1978. The report is discussed below.     

Investor reactions to food safety incidents: Evidence from the Chinese milk industry

Using a natural experiment in the Chinese milk industry as background, this paper investigates the reactions of individual and institutional investors to food safety incidents. By classifying firms as either honest or dishonest, we find that: First, honest firms significantly outperform dishonest ones and receive more investment flow. Second, individual investors react to incidents more negatively and intensely, especially toward dishonest firms, compared with institutional investors. This study offers important policy implications: First, our findings directly suggest that the government should enact appropriate policies to strengthen food safety and protect consumers’ health. Second, the government should implement efficient mechanisms to strengthen firms’ incentives to participate in social responsibility activities. Third, having institutional investors as corporate monitors is not a sufficient substitute for legal penalties.     

Interaction processes in long-term relationships in the metal mining industry: Longitudinal case studies of capital equipment buying

This study investigates the development of the relationships between customers and suppliers of capital equipment in the mining industry. The interorganizational relationships were characterized along three sets of variables: context, task characteristics, and interaction processes. Longitudinal case study research was conducted, and four long-term relationships in the Portuguese metal mining industry were investigated. The domesticated nature of the market, compatibility of partners' objectives and strategies, and the choice of a direct channel are significant driving forces for the establishment and development of these relationships. Well-driven interaction processes were found determinant to relationship development and outcomes. Particularly, the extent of supplier-based adaptations and scope of after-sales agreements are core to relationship development and continuity.     

The mode of exchange and shaping of markets: Distributor influence in the Swedish post-war food industry

This paper addresses the associations between the mode of exchange and the configuration of market actors and exchange objects through a historical case study of the introduction of self-service retailing in the private food retail trade in Sweden. The changes in the mode of exchange reported in the case resulted from organizing efforts involving both retailers and a major wholesaler. These efforts were directed towards two main areas: the material framing of the exchange situation, e.g. the redesign of store facilities, interiors and the pre-packaging of goods, and the agency of the involved actors, e.g. information campaigns and education directed towards retailers and consumers. Through this process, a network of associations was forged that inter-defined the mode of exchange, the market actors and the exchange objects. The paper contributes to extant literature on the shaping of markets by empirically examining the associations constituting modes of exchange and the process through which these associations are forged. A central finding is that the introduction of self-service was elaborately intertwined with changes in the characteristics of the actors and objects of exchange.     

Research priority setting in food and health domain: European stakeholder beliefs about legitimacy criteria and processes

Dietary factors are the most important risk factors affecting health and well-being of population in every Member State of the European Region. Finding sustainable solutions to the food and health challenges is one of the key issues that today’s society urgently needs to address. Research prioritisation thus has an essential role in directing public resources to addressing these challenges. However, the processes of prioritisation among the food and health funders are rarely subject to scrutiny and the calls for democratizing science continue, as a means of enhancing both input legitimacy (with its focus on the processes of decision-making) and output legitimacy (the utility and impact of such decisions). The current study examines what conceptualisations of legitimacy (input and output) are held by the European stakeholders of the food and health research and innovation (R&I) process such as business organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public sector organisations. We analyse stakeholder views from a series of European Awareness Scenario Workshops across nine EU countries (N = 295). The content and thematic analysis of the outputs identified six criteria determining conceptualisations of legitimacy: Influence; Representation; Procedural issues; Epistemic focus; Strategic vision; and Impact. The statistical analysis of the coded data highlighted stakeholder differences with business sector organisations being significantly less concerned about influence and representation than either NGO or public sector organisations. The results indicate that input legitimacy is of major concern to civil society and public sector actors. They reflect the wider debate about the way in which food and health R&I should be funded and policy decisions conducted, suggesting a need for better delineation of stakeholder roles and power differentials in this process. The findings are discussed with reference to the current discussions about Responsible Research and Innovation.     

How public policy can stimulate the capabilities of firms to innovate in a traditional industry through academic engagement: the case of the Swedish food industry

This paper shows how public policy can stimulate innovation in low- and medium-technology industries, by connecting firms and universities through collaborative scientific research. A conceptual framework proposes that collaborative research between universities and firms may result in tangible innovative outcomes, such as new or improved products or processes, and intangible outcomes that strengthen firms’ internal capabilities and thereby indirectly increase their innovativeness. Findings are presented from a case study of a Swedish public policy stimulating the development of firm capabilities for innovation, through collaborative research projects connecting universities and firms in the food industry between 1998 and 2006. In line with the conceptual framework, the analysis distinguishes between (i) direct outcomes, such as new products; and (ii) indirect outcomes in the form of the development of firms’ capabilities to innovate. Based on this analysis, the initial conceptual framework is expanded to indicate how policy can stimulate the development of firms’ capabilities.     

Food industry structure in Norway and Denmark since the 1990s: Path dependency and institutional trajectories in Nordic food markets

Structural changes in Norwegian and Danish food industry since the 1990s is analysed as a path dependent response to the neo-liberal turn. Norway entered the 1990s as a protected market and Denmark as case of an export oriented industry. These developmental strategies are rooted in early 20th century industrialisation and influenced by institutional transformations in the 1990s, such as EU and WTO. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are studied in the context of changing political environments. Explaining two different trajectories, we combine path dependency theories and a Polanyi inspired ‘varieties of capitalism’ framework with corporate strategy theories on food industry M&As. We identify two different types of path dependent development, a self-reinforcing in Denmark and a transformative ‘breaking point’ in Norway.     

Product recalls,corporate social responsibility,and firm value: Evidence from the Chinese food industry

Product recalls frequently occur in the Chinese food industry, which is closely linked to public health and social security and attracts significant attention from the government, media, and public. We manually collect food recalls from listed firms in China from 2008 to 2016 and use an event study methodology to investigate the economic consequences of product recalls. First, we find that product recalls result in significantly negative abnormal returns for listed firms. Second, the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) mitigates the negative effect of food recalls on the wealth of shareholders. Our results are robust to different specifications and measures. This study provides timely evidence and important policy implications for the ongoing food safety crisis in China. The government should release appropriate policies to improve firms’ product quality and activities on CSR in the food industry, which in turn helps the firms obtain benefits.