Introduction of highly effective proactive food safety management programs into food distribution channels: For safe food labeling and safe advertisements

This study introduces a proactive management strategy in food distribution channels and measures its effectiveness quantitatively. Experts conducted 5,131 assessments of 3,390 products based on a food safety assessment criteria checklist. Three on‐site audits at the point of sales without prior interventions showed nonconformance of 5.19, 5.74, and 6.22%. Then, prior interventions were conducted thrice in the contract stages, and corrective actions were recommended to food manufacturers. The research team verified the corrective actions’ adequacy and approved contract volume production. After distribution, on‐site evaluation showed that conformity increased to 91.74%. This study confirmed that the safety of labeling and advertising of food products supplied to distribution channels, which act as a bottleneck of food distribution, can be managed efficiently and improved through proactive management programs, and it also identified an optimal timing for intervention. This study introduces a proactive management strategy in food distribution channels and measures its effectiveness quantitatively. Experts conducted 5,131 assessments of 3,390 products based on a food safety assessment criteria checklist. Three on‐site audits at the point of sales without prior interventions showed nonconformance of 5.19%, 5.74%, and 6.22. With the introduction of proactive food safety management plans designed in this study, conformity increased to 91.74%. This study confirmed that the safety of labeling and advertising of food products supplied to distribution channels, which act as a bottleneck of food distribution, can be managed efficiently and improved through proactive management programs, and it also identified an optimal timing for intervention.