Assessing the Microbiological Safety Parameters of Minas Artisanal Cheese Samples in Retail Environments in São Paulo, Brazil

Minas artisanal cheese is the best known and most consumed type of cheese in Brazil. Prepared with raw bovine milk and starter cultures, these cheeses face many opportunities for post-processing contamination during their transport to commercial establishments as well as in how they are stored, displayed, and maintained for cutting/slicing at retail establishments. It is a common practice for retailers to purchase entire cheeses from the producers, cut them into smaller pieces for retail sale, and store them at room temperature instead of properly refrigerating them. This study evaluated the microbiological safety parameters of samples of Minas artisanal cheeses collected at retail establishments in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, to more realistically assess consumer exposure to the most common pathogens. Samples were submitted for investigation of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and the counts of total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and coagulase-positive enterotoxigenic staphylococci using culture and real-time PCR methods. A worrisome number of samples failed to comply with the current Brazilian legislation for foods in retail environments and presented more than one non-compliance issue. Results highlighted that quality and safety management tools, such as good hygiene practices and HACCP, in retail environments deserve more attention to reduce the possible risks to consumer health.

Analysis of hazardous factors related to foodstuffs in a retail establishment

According to the current legislation of Ukraine, retail establishments must develop, implement, and apply permanent procedures based on the principles of hazard analysis and critical control point system, as well as provide persons responsible for these procedures with appropriate training in the application of permanent procedures based on HACCP principles during foodstuff production and circulation. During the research, we used the methods of analysis of Internet resources and regulations on the food safety management system. Food safety is associated with the presence of food hazards during consumption. The emergence of hazards to food safety can occur at any stage of the food chain. Therefore, proper control throughout the food chain is necessary. Food safety is ensured by the joint efforts of all participants in the food chain. Therefore, the aim of the article was to characterize a scientifically based hazard analysis and critical control point system and to reveal the main difficulties caused by using such a system in retail establishments. The implementation of HACCP principles not only ensures the safety of products and culinary products but also promotes the development of retail establishments in general – the process of production of culinary products becomes safe, staff adheres to sanitary and hygienic standards; the confidence of visitors in the quality and safety of the food they consume, the rating of the establishment increases; detection of possible violations during inspections is practically excluded; the establishment gains a marketing advantage in today's competitive environment. Therefore, the analysis of food hazards is an important and quite relevant issue.

Capturing customer’s store loyalty through relationship benefits: Moderating effect of retail innovation

Purpose Research suggests that innovation plays a key role in creating a competitive edge and business survival in highly competitive industries like retail. Despite the importance of innovation in retail establishments, very limited efforts have been made so far to study how innovation influences consumer behavior in retail establishments. This paper aims to identify the impact of relationship benefits (i.e. confidence, social and special treatment benefits) on consumer’s loyalty with the retail store and examine the moderating effect of retailer innovation in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this study, a sample comprised of 400 consumers of four retail sectors (i.e. household, electronics, textile and food) was chosen. The data were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. Findings The findings of this research suggest a significant positive influence of confidence and special treatment benefits on consumer loyalty and that retail innovation moderates the link between relationship benefits and consumer loyalty. Originality/value This research contributes to the existing literature in the domain of retail customer loyalty by empirically testing the under-studied phenomenon of retail innovation with the help of contingency theory.

Does Proximity to a New Sports Facility Affect Existing Businesses’ Survival Time?

Existing literature on the economic impact of sports facilities fails to consider whether new facilities positively affect existing businesses. To fill this gap, data on existing establishments in Sacramento, CA, active from 2004 through 2018 were collected. The outcome of interest is existing businesses’ survival time. Using an accelerated failure time model in a difference-in-difference framework, retail establishments within a half mile of the Golden 1 Center are found to have survival times 53% shorter than otherwise similar retail establishments further away. Models also reveal existing establishments in other industries complementary to sports are not affected by the arena.

Funding Frontiers: Public Policing, ‘User Pays’ Policing and Police Foundations

This chapter explores the longstanding but surprisingly neglected ‘user pays’ policing, as well as newer and proliferating police foundations in Canada and the US. Many police departments in North America and beyond now offer ‘user pays’ public policing. The premise of ‘user pays’, as its name suggests, is that the public should not pay for private use of the public police. Those who use their security services for private benefit should pay, and the more they use them, the more they should pay. In practice, this involves selling security services to individuals and organisations for street festivals, funeral escorts, concerts, special parades, and retail establishments, and sometimes directly to private security firms themselves. These arrangements always entail uniformed officers providing security to these ‘users’ via temporary assignment.

The Managerial Skills of Visual Merchandising Managers of Retail Establishments in the National Capital Region

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