A Multi-Objective Model for Sustainable Perishable Food Distribution Considering the Impact of Temperature on Vehicle Emissions and Product Shelf Life

Abstract

The food distribution process is responsible for significant quality loss in perishable products. However, preserving quality is costly and consumes a tremendous amount of energy. To tackle the challenge of minimizing transportation costs and CO2 emissions while also maximizing product freshness, a novel multi-objective model is proposed. The model integrates a vehicle routing problem with temperature, shelf life, and energy consumption prediction models, thereby enhancing its accuracy. Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II is adapted to solve the proposed model for the set of Solomon test data. The conflicting nature of these objectives and the sensitivity of the model to shelf life and shipping container temperature settings are analyzed. The results show that optimizing freshness objective degrade the cost and the emission objectives, and the distribution of perishable foods are sensible to the shelf life of the perishable foods and temperature settings inside the container.

Multi-Compartment Vehicle Loading and Route Optimization: Case for Exporting Thai Fresh Fruits

“…For example, in the case of perishable commodities (e.g., fresh fruits), operating cost, transportation time, and product shelf-life are essential factors influencing the route options. Hence, various research has been conducted to develop effective transportation management to minimize the total operation cost of delivering fresh fruits [4].…”

A Bi-objective Robust Optimization Model for an Integrated Production-distribution Problem of Perishable Goods with Demand Improvement Strategies: A Case Study

“…A few years later, Janssen et al [26] completed Bakker et al's survey of perishable inventory models using key topics. Gharehyakheh et al [27] presented an integrated model to minimize transportation costs and CO2 emissions as well as maximize product freshness. They addressed a routing problem considering shelf life, temperature, and energy consumption prediction.…”

A food bank network design examining food nutritional value and freshness: A multi objective robust fuzzy model

“…They have employed a variety practices to improve supply of fresh fruits and vegetables. For instance, by informing agencies and attempting to make direct contact with donors, they have shortened the distribution time which is more advantageous for maximizing products shelf-life (Gharehyakheh et al 2019).…”