The cost of temperature violations weighs heavily on the food supply chain, according to a recent survey of U.S. transportation companies. The cost of these violations was among several findings of a survey on the practices designed to ensure the sanitary transportation of food, notes Elliot Maras in his Cool Insights column in the May Food Logistics.
Hanover Research, based in Arlington, Va., surveyed American Trucking Associations (ATA) members about the practices and protocols they follow to ensure the sanitary transportation of food. The survey was conducted on behalf of ATA and Thermo King Corp.
The study’s purpose was to inform modifications to the FSMA’s sanitary transportation rule. Eighty ATA members participated in the survey, which shed light on some important safety and sanitation issues for food transportation.
One of the survey’s key findings was the cost of temperature violations. Respondents ranked temperature violations as the top non-conformance issue they are facing. The average cost of rejected shipments as a result of non-conformance is around $20,000. However, it can range from $300 to $80,000. Close to a third of respondents said rejected shipment costs range from $1,000 to $5,000, while nearly a quarter pegged it somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000.
To read more, click: http://www.foodlogistics.com/article/12068376/benchmark-study-finds-room-for-improvement-in-food-transport-safety.
