Buyers
How their job is impacted by food safety standards (or a lack of it) in refrigerated trucks
Buyers of fresh produce for foodservice and grocery industries are aware that they are the ‘consumer-facing’ stakeholder in the food supply chain. We’ve seen in recent days and weeks how consumer trust disappears when their food is at risk due to potentially harmful or unsafe conditions.
Because they are often ‘shippers’ under FSMA (arrangers of transportation), they are responsible for ensuring that the equipment, particularly the trailers, is clean and sanitary prior to use. Unfortunately, companies don’t always understand or evaluate the costs that are directly related to unsanitary trailer transportation conditions.
The Costs Explained
Financial Costs
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Immediate lost sales and market share
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Replacement costs for recalled produce
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Operational costs for additional labor, warehousing, and transportation to replace the produce
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Legal Consequences
FSMA’s Safe Transportation Rule assigns responsibility for sanitary trailer conditions to the ‘arranger of transportation.’
FSMA’s Traceability Rule requires stakeholders to capture and share specific data demonstrating that food has moved through the supply chain safely and in alignment with food safety standards. Lack of proof for compliant transportation is a red flag for regulators.
Relational Costs
Linked directly to financial costs through lost consumer brand trust,
Negative impact on preferred transportation partners.
Stress on shippers due to a lack of specifications leads them to prefer compliant, supportive buying customers.