M. Droli

Food safety and nutritional quality for the prevention of non communicable diseases: the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point process (NACCP)

BackgroundThe important role of food and nutrition in public health is being increasingly recognized as crucial for its potential impact on health-related quality of life and the economy, both at the societal and individual levels. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases calls for a reformulation of our view of food. The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, first implemented in the EU with the Directive 43/93/CEE, later replaced by Regulation CE 178/2002 and Regulation CE 852/2004, is the internationally agreed approach for food safety control. Our aim is to develop a new procedure for the assessment of the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (NACCP) process, for total quality management (TMQ), and optimize nutritional levels.MethodsNACCP was based on four general principles: i) guarantee of health maintenance; ii) evaluate and assure the nutritional quality of food and TMQ; iii) give correct information to the consumers; iv) ensure an ethical profit. There are three stages for the application of the NACCP process: 1) application of NACCP for quality principles; 2) application of NACCP for health principals; 3) implementation of the NACCP process. The actions are: 1) identification of nutritional markers, which must remain intact throughout the food supply chain; 2) identification of critical control points which must monitored in order to minimize the likelihood of a reduction in quality; 3) establishment of critical limits to maintain adequate levels of nutrient; 4) establishment, and implementation of effective monitoring procedures of critical control points; 5) establishment of corrective actions; 6) identification of metabolic biomarkers; 7) evaluation of the effects of food intake, through the application of specific clinical trials; 8) establishment of procedures for consumer information; 9) implementation of the Health claim Regulation EU 1924/2006; 10) starting a training program.Results and discussionWe calculate the risk assessment as follows: Risk (R) = probability (P) × damage (D). The NACCP process considers the entire food supply chain “from farm to consumer”; in each point of the chain it is necessary implement a tight monitoring in order to guarantee optimal nutritional quality.

Managing strictly local entrepreneurial opportunities: best practices of firm innovation within the Albergo Diffuso

Objectives. The concept of Albergo Diffuso or ‘AD’ (literally translated: ‘scattered hotel’) is designed to offer tourists an authentic experience of the ‘Italian life style’ and was rewarded by UNDP for its innovation. The aim of this paper is threefold: 1. shed light on the way in which ADs acquire a local (aka “Km0”) entrepreneurial opportunities as assets; 2. Individuate “how” the form’s management develops this resource; and 3. represent this insight into a formal model. Methodology. This research considers assets according to the resource based view (R-BV) of the firm and employs the dominant cognitive-objectivist and behaviourist-constructivist frameworks. Fieldwork took place in the period between 2006-2011 using the methodology of participating observation with a small sample of firms. Findings. The methodology employed here enabled the reconstruction of the full sequence of actions through which AD operators derive an income from the entrepreneurial opportunities existing in the local areas where they operate. Research limits. The limits of this work are those of qualitative methodologies. We believe however that the results obtained may facilitate further researches. Practical implications. This approach allows one to identify the existence of dynamic capacity which needs to be strengthened in order to optimize the opportunity production-capture process, as well as facilitating further analysis. Originality of the study. The results point out to a new model for the management of entrepreneurial opportunities, where the cognitive approach works together with the behaviourist one. This model can be used to accelerate the processes of product innovation, beginning with the rural areas, hamlets and historical quarters of the ‘bel paese’.