Browsing by Author "Sam, Caryn Lisa"
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- ItemA toolkit for cold chain requirements for the physical distribution between South African retail distribution centres : a perishable food case(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Sam, Caryn Lisa; Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise; Van Eeden, Joubert; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Logistics.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Food loss is of great concern globally as large quantities of food are lost on an annual basis. This is a growing concern for all countries, especially where developing countries like South Africa, are concerned. A third of the edible food available in South Africa is lost, which equates to an estimated 10.3 million tonnes of food per annum. The significant amount of food loss is alarming for South Africa when examined from an economic, social and environmental perspective. Food loss occurs at various stages of the value chain, with 20% occurring during distribution and retail, which motivated the need for this study. The main aim of this research was to develop a toolkit for cold chain requirements for the physical distribution between South African retail distribution centres, specifically for perishable food products. This toolkit was developed with the sole purpose of enlightening stakeholders within the retail supply chain and creating a sense of awareness around contributing factors to food loss within the cold chain. This is done by providing information and guidelines on cold chain requirements for perishable food products and is directed towards South African retail supply chains. This research followed a deductive approach and the methodological choice for this thesis included a mixed-method approach for data collection. This approach allows the researcher to gather data by integrating qualitative and quantitative data. The time horizon for this research was cross-sectional as it took place at a single point in time. The data collection methods consisted of primary and secondary data. Primary qualitative data were collected in the form of exploratory, semi-structured and validation interviews. In addition, this thesis used secondary qualitative data in the form of a stakeholder analysis and a systematic literature review and secondary quantitative data in the form of historical temperature data. The research successfully met all the research objectives by answering all the research questions and ultimately developing a toolkit. The toolkit provides guidelines that promote best practices within the cold chain to ensure that perishable food products reach consumers at optimal quality and reduce food loss within the supply chain. The toolkit serves as a resource that offers guidelines and insights into the cold chain requirements for perishable food items along with workable solutions to address commonly faced challenges in this segment of the supply chain. The toolkit was validated by industry experts to ensure the reliability and validity of the toolkit.