According to Peter Quantrill, director general of the British International Freight Association, it was "hardly surprising" to hear the recent news that the U.S. has delayed new rules requiring all cargo containers entering the U.S. to be security scanned prior to departure from overseas for two more years, amid questions over whether this is the best way to protect U.S. ports.
The Food and Drug Administration has the responsibility for implementing FSMA and has issued seven proposed rules on each of the critical elements. These include Hazard Analysis and Preventive Controls for both human and animal food; Produce Safety; Intentional Adulteration; Foreign Supplier Verification Programs; Accreditation of Third-party Auditors; and finally the Sanitary Food Transportation Act (SFTA).
As part of a 10-year effort to improve technology in the safety inspection arena, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it will be coordinating a field test to see if wireless technology can be used to conduct roadside inspections.
Today's fleet managers are confronted with multiple challenges, from ongoing driver shortages to complex and oftentimes restrictive state and federal regulations, and that's just for starters. Add to that the specific concerns of food shippers, and the picture becomes even more complicated.
Plastic bags that can stop bread and cheese from going moldy after just a few days have been developed by scientists. The technology, which uses chemicals that prevent bacteria and fungi from growing, allows food to last for longer.
Grupo Pão-de-Açúcar (GPA) has found an RFID solution to a problem that previously affected both logistics and accounting for its Pão-de-Açúcar and Extra supermarket chains. The distribution of fish, as well as other products in its cold chain, presents significant challenges for the retailer. After all, fish do not have identical weights, and businesses work with average values per unit, resulting in differences between what theoretically was delivered to a store, what was really sold and the expected revenue generated by marketing.
The Global Environmental Management Initiative is developing a tool focused on supply chain sustainability and the procurement decision-making process.
Many of the key priorities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are "strikingly similar" to those of Walmart, executives of the retail giant's Asia Pacific arm say. That includes supporting the economic empowerment of women, increasing speed and efficiency in supply chain and sourcing operations, adding new stores and infrastructure, playing a leadership role in food security and sustainability - all shared goals not only critical to Walmart's success but to people, communities and entire economies alike.
For building products manufacturer Owens Corning Corp., whose annual transportation fuel bill hits about $100m, $1.1m in savings over the last year or so may seem like a drop in the bucket. Unless, that is, the bucket is filled with found money.
