Exploration of logistics and quality control activities in view of context characteristics and postharvest losses in fresh produce chains A case study for tomatoes.pdfVIP

Food Control 77 (2017) 221e234 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Food Control journal homepage: /locate/foodcont Exploration of logistics and quality control activities in view of context characteristics and postharvest losses in fresh produce chains: A case study for tomatoes Lesley Macheka a, d, Elsbeth Spelt b, Jack G.A.J. van der Vorst c, Pieternel A. Luning b, * a Operations Research and Logistics Group, Social Sciences Department, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands b Food Quality Design Group, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands c Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW Wageningen, The Netherlands d Department of Food Science and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, P.O. Box 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe article info Article history: Received 28 November 2016 Received in revised form 13 February 2017 Accepted 14 February 2017 Available online 16 February 2017 Keywords: Postharvest losses Diagnostic tool Logistics control Quality control Context characteristics Fresh produce abstract Postharvest losses in fresh produce chains are a major threat to food security, especially in transition countries. To develop effective intervention strategies for postharvest losses reduction, it is important to ?rst understand the core logistics and quality control activities that could affect postharvest losses in these chains. In this study, a diagnostic tool was developed and used to assess the implementation level of core logistics and quality control activities, the vulnerability of the system due to the context in which it operates, and the actual postharvest losses. Based upon a literature review, the context characteristics are divided into product, process, organisation, and supply chain environment characteristics to assess the context vulnerability to postharvest losses. The identi?ed core logist