Multiplex Uses of Food-Product Standards

Per Engelseth

International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2013, vol. 16, issue 2, 19

Abstract: Food-product traceability systems have been developed to achieve seamless electronic connectivity to assure food safety through the use of information technology. This is determined by legislation. While achieving customer value through quality, food supply is the core logistical purpose. Food-product traceability as such is seldom regarded as a core purpose. Food-product standards are a key resource in developing connectivity between information systems operated by different firms in a supply network using numerical product codes. This study couples the technical characteristics of a food-product standard with the organizational characteristics of a supply network. The common purpose is to achieve customer value in the supply network. Alderson’s (1965) marketing-channels (transvection) model of product supply is applied to analyze potential multiple uses of the TraceFish product standard in its supply network. The case study of North Sea herring supply involves following raw material from in Norway to finished product in the Netherlands. Analysis of this empirical data exposed variation in TraceFish standard use, including coupling it with GTIN product codes. This facilitated seamless electronic information exchange between firms for a range of supply-network purposes, including tracing food. This perspective is possible when multiple functions and professions that are equally involved in operating and managing business processes are allowed to handle not only operation, but also develop information systems.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Farm Management; Industrial Organization; International Relations/Trade (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ifaamr:148584

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.148584

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