Factors or characteristics which influence the export competitiveness of British Columbia's food and beverage processing industries in the Pacific Rim markets (i.e., Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China: Mainland, Singapore and South Korea) are studied using pooled time-series and cross-sectional data, for the years 1988 through 1992. Changes in exports and in export market share are explained by changes in systematic exogenous and endogenous differences amongst B.C. and competing provincial industries over the five year period. The results indicate that, converse to what is suggested in the literature, there is no statistical consistency in the explanatory capability of comparative cost, industrial organization, or firm strategy variables to explain competitiveness in Pacific Rim markets. Rather, it appears export success is due to many unique factors at the firm or provincial level. Hence, it is not possible to make generalizations about the competitiveness determinants of these industries in the Pacific Rim markets.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:51:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2633.pdf: 1821088 bytes, checksum: decd70ff6b7c76fe6390706e23d430cc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-19 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / The capital good supplier for the food industry have encountered a new reality in the market, with the increase of requirements in the product quality improvement by, as well the adjustment of the equipments to the regulatory requirement of food security. Towards this, the companies seek to implant some practices, aiming the product quality assurance and the process improvement, which can be gotten by the Quality Management System (QMS) structure, in the company scope and in the whole production chain. The strong dependence of technology innovation of the food industry, not only to the raw material industry, but also to the capital good supplier, emphasize the importance that this segment exerts over the food production chain, spreading new technologies and new quality patterns. This Master s paper analyze the Quality Management practices in a sampling of machinery and equipment manufacturers for the food industry, located in the state of São Paulo, as well the difficulties found in this Management and propose improvement suggestions. A survey was conducted, by visit and in loco interviews in 35 companies, of different sizes, acting segment and geography localization in the state of São Paulo. The data were analyzed with the purpose of characterize the companies, test possible correlations among the study variables and group the companies with similar characteristics in clusters. The correlation analysis showed dependence among some variables, as the level of formalization of the procedures and the existence of a Quality Management System. The cluster analyses generates 3 groups of companies, which can be distinguished, mainly, by the degree of the procedure formalization, existence of a Quality Management System and the company size. It was observed that the companies of this sector are diversified in their line of business and that they supply equipments not only to the food industry, but also to all those industries which need equipments made of stainless steel. It could be seen that, although the product quality is an overall demand in this segment, the existence of a QMS is not, which somewhat, contradict the initial expectative of this paper and publications in this area. However, the companies that supply equipments to other sectors, normally more demanding, as the petrochemical, or which visualize the benefits in the quality and productivity improvements reached with the QSM adoption, have already anticipated possible future demands of their clients, implanting and searching for the system certification. / Os fornecedores de bens de capital para a indústria de alimentos vêm se deparando com uma nova realidade do mercado, com o aumento de exigências no aprimoramento da qualidade de seus produtos bem como de adequação dos equipamentos aos requisitos normativos de segurança do alimento. Diante deste cenário, essas empresas buscam implantar um conjunto de práticas, visando à garantia da qualidade dos produtos e a melhoria dos seus processos, o que pode ser alcançado pela estruturação de um Sistema de Gestão da Qualidade (SGQ), no âmbito da empresa e da cadeia de produção. A forte dependência das inovações tecnológicas da indústria de alimentos, não só em relação à indústria de insumos, mas também em relação aos fornecedores de bens de capital, realça a importância que esse segmento exerce sobre a cadeia de produção de alimentos, como difusor de novas tecnologias e novos padrões de qualidade. Esta Dissertação analisa as práticas de Gestão da Qualidade em uma amostra de empresas fabricantes de máquinas e equipamentos para a indústria de alimentos, localizadas no Estado de São Paulo, bem como as dificuldades encontradas nesta Gestão e propõe sugestões de melhoria. Realizou-se uma pesquisa de levantamento (survey), por meio de visitas e entrevistas presenciais em 35 empresas, de diferentes portes, segmentos de atuação e localização no estado de São Paulo. Os dados foram analisados com a finalidade de caracterizar as empresas, testar possíveis correlações entre as variáveis de estudo e agrupar as empresas com características semelhantes em clusters. A análise de correlação mostrou dependência entre algumas variáveis, tal como entre o grau de formalização dos procedimentos e a existência de um SGQ. A análise de cluster gerou 3 agrupamentos de empresas, diferenciados, principalmente, pelo grau de formalização de procedimentos, existência de um SGQ e porte das empresas. Observou-se que as empresas do setor são diversificadas em seus ramos de atuação, fornecendo equipamentos não só para indústria de alimentos, mas também para outras que necessitam de equipamentos em aço inoxidável. Apesar da qualidade do produto ser uma exigência geral no setor, a existência de um SGQ formalizado não o é, o que contraria as expectativas iniciais deste trabalho e de publicações na área. No entanto, as empresas que também fornecem para outros setores, normalmente mais exigentes, como o petroquímico, ou que visualizam os benefícios na melhoria da qualidade e da produtividade alcançados com a adoção de um SGQ, já se anteciparam a possíveis exigências futuras de seus clientes, implantando e buscando a certificação do sistema.

Factors or characteristics which influence the export competitiveness of British Columbia's food and beverage processing industries in the Pacific Rim markets (i.e., Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China: Mainland, Singapore and South Korea) are studied using pooled time-series and cross-sectional data, for the years 1988 through 1992. Changes in exports and in export market share are explained by changes in systematic exogenous and endogenous differences amongst B.C. and competing provincial industries over the five year period. The results indicate that, converse to what is suggested in the literature, there is no statistical consistency in the explanatory capability of comparative cost, industrial organization, or firm strategy variables to explain competitiveness in Pacific Rim markets. Rather, it appears export success is due to many unique factors at the firm or provincial level. Hence, it is not possible to make generalizations about the competitiveness determinants of these industries in the Pacific Rim markets. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Food Science))--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Food Science / MSc / unrestricted

This dissertation addresses the history of antibiotic use in British and US food production between 1950 and 2013. Introduced to agriculture in the 1950s, antibiotics underpinned the 20th-century revolution in Western food production. However, from the late 1950s onwards, controversies over antibiotic resistance, residues and animal welfare began to tarnish antibiotics' image. By mapping both the enthusiasm and the controversies surrounding antibiotic use, this dissertation shows how distinct civic epistemologies of risk influenced consumers', producers' and officials' attitudes towards antibiotics. These differing risk perceptions did not emerge by chance: in Britain, popular animal welfare concerns fused with new scenarios of antibiotic resistance and drove reform. Following 1969, Britain pioneered antibiotic resistance regulation by banning certain feed antibiotics. However, subsequent reforms were only partially implemented, and total antibiotic consumption failed to sink. Meanwhile, scandals and public pressure forced the American FDA to install the first comprehensive monitoring program for antibiotic residues. However, differing public priorities and industrial opposition meant that the FDA failed to convince Congress of resistance-inspired bans. The transatlantic regulatory gap has since widened: following the BSE crisis, the EU phased out growth-promoting antibiotic feeds in 2006. The US proclaimed only a voluntary and partial ban of antibiotic feeds in December 2013. In the face of contemporary warnings about failing antibiotics, the dissertation shows how one group of substances acquired different meanings for different communities. It also reveals that the dilemma of antibiotic regulation is hardly new. Despite knowing about antibiotic allergies and resistance since the 1940s, no country has managed to solve the dilemma of preserving antibiotics' economic benefits whilst containing their medical risks. Historically, effective antibiotic regulation emerged only when differing perceptions of antibiotics were broken down either by sustained regulatory reform or large crises.

Thesis (MTech (Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008 / While there is a standard for quality and environmental auditors, there is no local or international standard for food safety auditing, which means auditors from different certification bodies can use their own discretion when auditing food establishments. There is a requirement to investigate the quality of work performed by South African food safety auditors. in order to establish whether they do in fact add value when conducting registration and certification audits. This is also an indication of the importance of improving and maintaining a high standard of food safety in the food services industry. The overall concept of food safety in South Africa IS clearly not defined. understood by only a few consumers, and not widely accepted. Research has shown that food retailers in South Africa in general do not believe food safety auditors are competent. In the wake of the Sudan Red scare two years ago. a long awaited food safety initiative was launched in February 2006. The scare pertaining to a carcinogenic food dye. which found its way into spices on local supermarket shelves, mobilized food industry role players to improve food safety standards. Under the auspices of the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), the body responsible for establishing best practices and implementation standards, Food Safety South Africa (FSSA) will enable an organization to determine the exact nature and extent of possible and actual problems along the food supply chain. The key objectives of this research study are to determine whether one food certification standard is needed in South Africa and to assess the value added by the food auditors to their clients. Social research will be conducted within the ambit of the dissertation, with case study serving as research method. Both quantitative and qualitative research paradigms will be used to gather data for the research survey in support of the research question. forming the crux of the dissertation which reads as follow: "How can food safety auditors increase value added to the audit process in food environments in South Africa?"

A macroscopic model describing the main physiological phenomena observed during the fed-batch baker’s yeast production process and including the influence of nitrogen on the key bio-mechanisms is proposed. First, on the basis of a set of biological reactions, inspired by the model of Sonnleitner and Käppeli, a model in which the nitrogen and glucose consumption are coordinated is proposed. Second, an attempt of estimating storage carbohydrate contents in yeast cells through an extension of this model is presented. The model is identified and validated with experimental data of fed-batch yeast cultures and successfully predicts the dynamics of cell growth, substrate consumption (nitrogen and carbon sources) and metabolite production (ethanol and storage carbohydrates). <p><p>The developed model was used for the determination of optimal operating conditions, in the sense of a production criterion. To this end, two different approaches were used: a control vector parameterization approach and a semi-analytical formulation of the optimal operating policy. The two approaches were compared with numerical and experimental data. The results of the two approaches lead to the determination of similar optimal operation conditions, which have been implemented for a new experimental phase. Moreover, these optimal conditions are in agreement with the profiles obtained by industrial manufacturers through an empirical optimization of the process.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This study applies Destler's institutional counterweights to Putnam's two-level analysis, substituting Liberal Institutionalism and Realism for internationalism and isolationism, in a comparative case study of the roles played by the U.S. and the EC in multilateral trade negotiations in agriculture under the aegis of the General Agreement for Tariffs and Trade during the first half of the Uruguay Round. Using game theory as an analytical tool in the process, this present study demonstrates that a clear pattern emerges in which stages of cooperation and deadlock can be easily anticipated in games of Chicken and Prisoners' Dilemma in accordance with various but predictable levels of institutional influence.

Waste management is one of the key issues of sustainable development. In Hong Kong, there is food waste management measures but it seems that they have a fair share of limitations. The amount of food waste disposed rose from 3,154 tons in 2005 to 3,237 tons in 2010, which has not shown a significant reduction in volume in recent years. Businesses are becoming more aware of their corporate social responsibility and they definitely have a role to play in sustainable food waste management. Food waste management requires a large amount of resource input and infrastructural support, therefore a collaborative network between the government, businesses and social organizations will surely allows for better performance. The Food Waste Recycling Partnership Scheme (FWRPS) is chosen to be the subject of this case study. It is a partnership program aiming to tackle the food waste problem in Hong Kong’s private sector. A total of 18 companies are chosen as case subjects for the study and are divided into three groups: 1) the participants of the FWRPS; 2) the non-participants of the FWRPS but with self-initiatives for food waste management and 3) the companies without much food waste management initiatives. The three groups are then compared and contrasted upon the drivers, barriers to food waste management and the role of the FWRPS towards effective food waste management. Major factors are drawn from the study such as corporate leadership and resource availability. It is found that those driving and hindering factors varies as companies adopt different food waste management options. In creating these differences, the FWRPS also plays an important role. The scheme succeeded in facilitating food waste management in the private sector as it allows resource pooling and knowledge input. It also has limitations such as the small scale and the lack of promotion. Such partnership would be effective only if each partner is committed to work towards the same objectives. Also, the partners should have their own roles and shoulder their responsibilities. For example, the government should provide the required infrastructure while non-governmental organizations focus on environmental education. In the long run however, the private sector should tailor its own system of food waste management along with legislative support from the government. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Food wastage is becoming a serious problem in Hong Kong. At present, Hong Kong relies simply on landfills to dispose of its waste. Nevertheless, such reliance is not sustainable. It may also lead to different social and environmental problems. With the primary aim to lessen environmental damage and achieve environmental sustainability, food waste recycling can save energy, conserve resources and prolong lifespan of landfills. Therefore, it is important to educate youngsters in order to develop their responsibility and habits in protecting the environment. It has been reported that recycling awareness should be instilled into people’s mind from their childhood. Through food waste recycling programmes held in schools, students can increase their awareness and knowledge in that aspect and develop skills for the solutions of environmental problems. On the other hand, such programmes would help reduce food waste at source and draw public attention to the food waste problem. The aims of this study focus on the introduction of a food waste management programme in a Hong Kong secondary school campus and exploring the feasibility and viability of extending it to other secondary schools in Hong Kong in order to minimize waste disposed to landfills. The study shows that the students may gain knowledge about food waste recycling through practical field experience by joining both of the Food Waste Recycling Programme and the Organic Farming Programme under the food waste management policies developed in the school. They allow students to engage more in recycling behavior and increase their awareness of food waste avoidance, reduction and recycling in their daily life. With the tripartite cooperation the Government, the participating schools and the secondary school students, the food waste management held in the school campus is feasible and viable to extend to other secondary schools in Hong Kong in order to lessen the pressure of local landfills. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management