Key-risk factors on quality and safety of donated foods in the food aid supply chains: A theoretical framework

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical framework that could be applied to provide an insight on the impacts of key-risk factors on quality and safety of donated food along the food aid supply chains. Donated food comes from various countries, produced for different purposes, stored and transported over the long chains to several locations under variable conditions and handled by numerous people often with restricted knowledge on proper food handling. Although there are various reports on the deficiencies in quality and safety of donated food, there is yet a restricted knowledge on where and how quality and safety of donated food could be affected. A technomanagerial approach has been used to develop a theoretical framework to give insights on the risk factors that could impact quality and safety of products along the food aid supply chains. History of donated food products, intrinsic product properties and characteristics of the national food control system were identified as the key-risk factors impacting quality/safety of donated food along the production chains in the donating countries; whereas food legislation, infrastructure and resources, and management and administration of the food control system are the major quality and safety influencing factors at points of receipt. Lastly, intrinsic product properties, qualities of the workforce, nature of the distribution infrastructure, and complexity of the supply chain were identified as the key-risk factors on quality and safety of food during distribution in the receiving countries. This theoretical framework could be used by food aid receiving countries to make informed decisions on the status of imported donated food products and provide relevant distribution and storage requirements to ensure that the intended recipients get quality and safe food products.