A comparison of container airflow technologies to improve temperature control along the table grape export supply chain : a South Africa to Netherlands case

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dc.contributor.advisorGoedhals-Gerber, Leila Louiseen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorNel, Margoten_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Logistics.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-05T19:31:09Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-18T07:19:23Z
dc.date.available2023-03-05T19:31:09Z
dc.date.available2023-05-18T07:19:23Z
dc.date.issued2023-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: The South African table grape industry is significant as it plays a major role in terms of the economy and the growth of the country. It is, therefore, essential to maintain the high level of exports from South Africa and ensure that the quality of table grapes is maintained. Temperature management is the first step to ensure that the fruits reach the end consumer in the optimal condition. Failure in managing the table grape export cold chain can have a significant impact on the farmers and distributers as quality issues ultimately lead to dissatisfied customers and major financial losses. The main purpose of this research was to visualise and compare the temperature profiles of two table grape shipments, each with two containers equipped with different airflow technologies and one control container, from South Africa to the Netherlands. The research questions are centred around the number of container temperature breaks, how often they occur, the duration of these container temperature breaks and which of the two technologies or the control container maintained the most optimal temperature within the containers. A deductive approach to theory development was applied. Quantitative data was gathered by temperature sensors placed within these different containers, and qualitative data was gathered by semi-structured interviews with industry experts and observations at the cold store in South Africa. The data was visualised to illustrate the number and duration of temperature breaks and the data distribution to interpret the median values and interquartile ranges across the two shipments, the various technologies and the different sensor and pallet positions within all containers along the stages of the export cold chain. Problematic areas were identified along the export cold chain through the temperature profiles of the various containers. Many temperature breaches, light breaks and humidity breaks were discovered. The control containers experienced higher temperatures, more temperature breaks, longer temperature break durations and delivered overall worse quality table grapes than the containers equipped with the airflow technologies. Therefore, the technologies played some role in maintaining the ideal temperatures. The containers fitted with Technology 2 outperformed the containers equipped with Technology 1. This study fulfils the aim of the investigation prompted by Company X. It provides insights pertaining to the table grape cold chain for role players to identify where temperature breaks occur more frequently and which benchmark activities and airflow technologies can be applied to limit product quality losses and, therefore, limit financial losses.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse tafeldruifbedryf is beduidend aangesien dit 'n groot rol speel in terme van die ekonomie en die groei van die land. Dit is dus van kardinale belang dat die kwaliteit van tafeldruiwe gehandhaaf word, veral ten opsigte van die wat uitgevoer word. Dit is noodsaaklik om die hoe vlak van uitvoer uit Suid-Afrika te handhaaf en temperatuurbestuur is die eerste stap om te verseker dat die vrugte die eindverbruiker in die optimale toestand bereik. Mislukking in die bestuur van die uitvoerkoelkettings kan 'n beduidende impak op die boere en verspreiders he, aangesien kwaliteitkwessies uiteindelik tot ontevrede klante en groot finansiele verliese lei. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsing was om die temperatuurprofiele van twee tafeldruifbesendings, elk met twee houers toegerus met verskillende lugvloeitegnologiee en een beheerhouer, van Suid-Afrika na Nederland te visualiseer. Die navorsingsvrae is gesentreer rondom die aantal houertemperatuuronderbrekings, hoe gereeld dit voorkom, die duur van hierdie houertemperatuuronderbrekings en watter van die twee tegnologiee of die beheerhouer die mees optimale temperatuur binne die houers gehandhaaf het. In hierdie studie is 'n deduktiewe benadering tot teorie-ontwikkeling toegepas. Kwantitatiewe data is ingesamel deur temperatuursensors wat binne hierdie verskillende houers geplaas is, en kwalitatiewe data is ingesamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met bedryfskenners en waarnemings by die koelkamer in Suid-Afrika. Die data is gevisualiseer deur staafgrafieke, hittekaarte en houer-en-punt stipping om die aantal en duur van temperatuuronderbrekings en die dataverspreiding te illustreer om die mediaanwaardes en interkwartielreekse oor die twee versendings, die verskillende tegnologiee en die verskillende sensor- en paletposisies te interpreteer binne alle houers langs die stadiums van die uitvoerkoelketting. Problematiese areas is geidentifiseer langs die uitvoerkoueketting deur middel van die temperatuurprofiele van die verskillende houers. Baie temperatuurbreuke, ligonderbrekings en humiditeitsonderbrekings is ontdek langs alle stadiums van die koueketting vir alle relevante houers. Die beheerhouers het hoer temperature, meer temperatuuronderbrekings, langer temperatuuronderbrekingsduur ervaar en het in die algemeen swakker kwaliteit tafeldruiwe gelewer as die houers wat met die lugvloeitegnologie toegerus is. Die houers wat met Tegnologie 1 toegerus is, het meer en langer onderbrekings ervaar as die houers wat met Tegnologie 2 toegerus is. Daarom het die tegnologiee wel 'n rol gespeel om die ideale temperature te handhaaf. Hierdie studie dra by tot die tafeldruifbedryf en voldoen aan die doel van die ondersoek wat deur Maatskappy X aangespoor is. Dit verskaf insigte en gevolgtrekkings met betrekking tot die tafeldruifkoueketting vir rolspelers om te identifiseer waar temperatuuronderbrekings meer gereeld voorkom en watter maatstafaktiwiteite en lugvloeitegnologiee kan toegepas word om produkkwaliteitverliese te beperk en dus finansiele verliese te beperk.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.format.extentxviii, 185 pages : illustrations, maps, includes annexures
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127384
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University
dc.subject.lcshTable grapes -- Precooling -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshTable grapes -- Transportation -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshTable grapes -- Postharvest technology -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshTable grapes -- Cooling -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleA comparison of container airflow technologies to improve temperature control along the table grape export supply chain : a South Africa to Netherlands caseen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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