Asia / Pacific Council, 2009: The report summarizes the results of extensive research on fresh food and fresh food safety in Asia. Our hope is that this report encourages retailers to strengthen the trust consumers place in their brands through leadership on improving fresh food quality, supply chains, and safety across Asia. We hope this work by the Council marks the beginning of an era of regional retailer collaboration and collective goal setting aimed at enhancing fresh food safety in the areas that matter most.
The research for this report was commissioned by the Council and conducted by McKinsey & Company over a period of nine months. The work incorporates extensive contributions from leading retailers who sit on the Council, as well as our discussions with a broad set of experts from industry, government, and academia. Our findings are based, in part, on a detailed survey of senior management and food safety experts from 17 participating retailers across the region. The findings were further supported by extensive-on-the-ground research throughout operations across the entire fresh food supply chain in four countries and nine Asian cities.
References made throughout this report regarding specific retailers, their activities, and proven practices were obtained through McKinsey market visits and interviews.