In-Store Cold Chain Failures: Food Safety Considerations

In-store temperature controlled distribution channels (i.e., in-store cold chains) are a retailing critical factor to ensure the safety of food products. Our study seeks to understand the role that access to standardized knowledge, in-store cold chain practices, and the interaction of those two have on the integrity of in-store cold chains. We develop a model to assess the impact of knowledge in preventing in-store cold chain disruptions, introduce the concept of latent failure (i.e., a nonidentified failure that allows for the unexpected deterioration of products ahead of their expiration date), and use a knowledge-based perspective to conceptualize how disruptions in the cold chain affect the safety and quality of food sold at retailers. We analyze a primary dataset generated over two years of field observations in four socioeconomically distinct urban neighborhoods using a partial least squares path model. Implications are discussed.