Building resilience in the infant formula milk supply chain

Abstract

In recent years, Infant Formula Milk (IFM), a vital source of nutrition for infants lacking breast milk in their first two years, has been plagued by diverse and severe global supply chain disruptions. These challenges have triggered shortages, compromised product quality, and threatened food security, leading to dire health consequences and even fatalities among infants. However, despite the criticality of IFM, current research is lacking in terms of how to build or improve the resilience of IFM supply chains. This paper presents a detailed framework for building a resilient IFM supply chain. A key pillar of this framework is a comprehensive analysis of potential hazards. Using the Hazard and Operability Analysis (HAZOP) method, 91 potential hazards were identified across the entire IFM supply chain. Subsequently, a clustering method identified 17 critical risks with irreversible consequences for infant health and supply chain flow. Finally, mitigation strategies that combine traditional approaches with 4.0 technology-enabled solutions are proposed. Adapting this framework can provide valuable insights for IFM supply chain stakeholders, enabling them to secure the vital flow of this life-sustaining product and safeguard the health and well-being of infants.