Development of Risk Management Mitigation Plans for the Infant Formula Milk Supply Chain Using an AHP Model

Abstract

Infant formula milk (IFM) is critical in the diet of many babies and must be of high-quality. Unfortunately, IFM has been a target of adulteration by those attempting to make illegal profits and has suffered from contamination-related issues. This study’s main objective was to identify the most critical risks affecting IFM quality in the supply chain and determine mitigation strategies to improve IFM performance measurement. We developed a model to reduce adulteration and contamination rates in the infant formula milk supply chains (IFMSCs) and maximize safety. The steps to achieve the study’s objectives included: (1) identifying the importance of IFMs for infant nutrition and their risks; (2) establishing mitigation criteria for evaluating IFMSC’s performance to maximize quality; and (3) analyzing each mitigation criterion to maximize IFM safety. Based on pairwise comparisons by professionals in the food supply chain (FSC) of decision-making, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model was used to analyze and prioritize mitigation alternatives. According to the contamination quality risk agent, mitigation alternative (QR.M2) ranked highest. This study’s findings illustrate how vital avoiding risk is when dealing with public health, especially infants’ health, and how IFM must undergo precise testing and quality checks at every supply chain stage to ensure quality.

Building Resilience in Food Security: Sustainable Strategies Post-COVID-19

“…Unfortunately, the existing body of literature in this field remains somewhat limited, impeding the formulation of comprehensive frameworks for effective decision-making in production systems. Past studies have introduced various structures, with some positioning resilience as a subset of sustainability, others considering sustainability within the scope of resilience, and occasional conflicts between these perspectives complicating their seamless integration [4]. In general, standalone literature reviews have evolved into an established genre and are essential in advancing research in many academic disciplines, including social sciences, health sciences, and management [5].…”