by Kevin Payne | Aug 27, 2019 | Freshness Management, Operational Efficiency, Supply Chain
When it comes to improving operational efficiency, many cite the famous quote “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” This quote is often attributed to W. Edwards Deming (pictured left), the man who revolutionized the Japanese manufacturing industry, or Peter Drucker (pictured right), considered by many as the father of modern management theory. Apparently neither of them actually said this quote or used it in the way it is generally perceived according to these sources (citation 1, citation 2, citation 3). While some will debate...Continue Reading...
by Kevin Payne | Jul 16, 2019 | Food Waste, Supply Chain
A recent article in Forbes discussed several approaches to reducing or preventing food waste. The article, Can You Solve Food Waste With An Airbnb Model? begins by citing data from a recent Zest Labs food waste research study measuring and comparing the shelf-life (or freshness) of produce being sold at major grocery chain stores across the United States. Our research found that the freshness of produce – specifically strawberries, romaine lettuce and packaged salad mixes – varied significantly from store to store as well as within...Continue Reading...
by Kevin Payne | May 14, 2019 | Food Safety, Supply Chain
Recently, I saw the Produce Marketing Association’s Dr. Bob Whitaker present on food safety and the supply chain. Dr. Bob, as he’s affectionately known, was the opening keynote speaker at the Salinas AgTech Summit in March and also the closing keynote speaker at this month’s PMA TechKnowledge conference. At both events, his message was about the need to rethink how we, as an industry, address food safety challenges and the supply chain. For me to summarize his presentations would be challenging as they were quite comprehensive and...Continue Reading...
by Dr. Ricardo Badia, PhD | Mar 19, 2019 | Supply Chain
Cold chain logistics, including quality control and monitoring of produce during transport and distribution, is a major issue in the agri-food sector. The biggest challenge is to ensure a continuous cold chain (maintain cold chain integrity) from producer or supplier through to the retailer and, ultimately, to the consumer. For that it is necessary to count on appropriate monitoring and control systems and technologies, as well as techniques of collection and analysis of reliable data. Currently, the FAO (Food and Agriculture...Continue Reading...
by Kevin Payne | Dec 11, 2018 | Blockchain, Freshness Management, Retail Grocery, Supply Chain
The Best of Zest – 2018 In 2018, the Zest Labs Blog provided a timeline for what was topical in the fresh food supply chain industry. Google Analytics details which blogs most resonated with our readers. Our analysis reveals a few interesting fresh food industry trends in 2018. In the “Best of Zest” we offer you highlights from the year and some hints of things to look for in 2019. Fresh Food Industry Trend #1: Food Technology Is “So Hot Right Now” New food-related technologies, particularly blockchain for the fresh food supply...Continue Reading...
by Kevin Payne | Aug 21, 2018 | Supply Chain
What does Charles Darwin have in common with the fresh food industry? Boiling down evolutionary theory to its basics, those that adapt survive. Those that don’t, well…. In a new white paper from Transworld Data, Mary Shacklett references the tale of three companies, Netflix, Blockbuster and Red Box, who have all taken different approaches to the entertainment content market. Not much more than a decade ago, Blockbuster dominated the movie and media content market, having over 9,000 stores at its peak. Meanwhile, Netflix a small DVD...Continue Reading...
