Implementing an Enhanced Food Safety Metasystem: Conceptualization and Empirical Examination of Intended Benefits for Agri-food Processing Firms in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Food quality and safety is one of the seriously discussed issues in the agri-food sector. As a result of food safety control reforms, customer requirements and regulatory changes, agri-food processing firms are adopting different forms of food quality and safety metasystems including ISO 22000 and HACCP. Drawing from the works on expectation-disconfirmation theory, this paper advances that a firm has pre-adoption expectations of benefits when implementing a food control system and perceived benefits based on post-adoption experience; to what extent the expected benefits were realized by the firm. The level of satisfaction with a given food control system will depend on the perceived performance of the system relative to firm’s expectations and this will influence firm decisions on whether to continue with the certification into the future and also decisions that might arise on upcoming/novel quality assurance systems in the long term. This study aimed to identify the intended benefits of implementing a food safety metasystem and a qualitative exploratory approach was utilized. An extensive review of literature was carried out followed by Focus Group Discussions and In-depth Interviews with three sets of respondents: managers, academics; and quality management system auditors, and the data analyzed using N-Vivo (version 7.0) qualitative data analysis software. The results revealed that the most common benefits expected were in the areas of market share, corporate reputation, product shelf-life, international marketing, and as a response strategy for demands from some specific stakeholder groups, such as the central and local governments, surrounding community and local health inspectors.