Alpine Foods Research

Alpine Foods Research

Name:

Lecturer:

07-Sep-2009

Table of Contents

Title

Page Number

I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………3 II. Procedures and Methods……………………………………………………………3

III. Facts and Findings……………………………………………………………………………………..4

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A. Substances used for Growing Agricultural Products……………..……………..4

B. Substances used for rearing livestock……………………………………………4

C. Local Products and Food Miles………………………………………………….5

D. Packaging……………………………………………………………..…………5

E. Natural Ingredients Food Products……………………………………………..…6 IV. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….…….6

V. recommendations…………………………………………………………………….7

Introduction

Alpines Foods Limited imports raw materials form several countries in the world and uses these raw materials to manufacture and package different types of foods. The company mainly deals with dried fruits and nuts, snack bars, and breakfast cereals. The market for the company’s products has been deteriorating and the management has been concerned about the future of the company in the UK. Investigation has been done regarding the possible causes of the poor performance of its products in the market. The company’s board has identified some areas which they are more likely to be the sources of the poor performance in the market. The three areas include; consumers are being concerned about the environment under which the products are being grown, produced, and manufactured, the packaging of the products, and consumers prefer products that have been produced using natural ingredients rather than artificial

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ingredients. This paper will seek to analyze the importance of these areas of concern by the management and how they affect the economic future of the company. Secondary research will be used to gather the information and recommendations will be made on how the Alpine Food Company should change its business. The recommendations will be based on the findings that the secondary research will acquire.

Procedures and Methods

To obtain the information that is used to write this report, information that has already been collected and analysed regarding the Alpines Food Company was used. This information was mainly found from internet sources, journals, books, etc. The sources that were found to contain some information regarding the topic of discussion however offered very little information that was relevant to the topic. Tracing of books and journals on this company was also cumbersome.

Facts and Findings

Substances used for Growing Agricultural Products

The articles that were used in gathering the information used here indicated that consumers have raised great concerns regarding the way that raw materials that Alpines Food Company use in manufacturing their products are produced (Carl, 2009: :p. 1). This is in regard to the fact that these raw materials come from different parts of the world. Concerns regarding agricultural products focused on the particular fertilizers and pesticides that the farmers use in growing their farm produce (David, 2009, 1). Some fertilizers are harmful to the human health and should not be used in the production of raw materials that will be used to produce products for human consumption. Some are manufactured to be applied on plants that are not for consumption. Use of raw materials that have been grown with such fertilizers means risking the health of the consumers of the company’s products.

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Substances used for rearing livestock

Concerning the production poultry, eggs, and meat, the consumers are concerned about the foods that have been used to produce these products. Some farmers will use hormones, antibiotics, etc. on their livestock so that they can grow faster and help them save money. The eggs, poultry, and meat that have been produced using these means is quite harmful for human consumption and have negative effects to the health of the consumers. In the two above cases, the use of these fertilisers and pesticides that are not approved for use in these plants and the use of hormones and antibiotics in livestock may lead to complications to the bodies of the consumers of the final products from these raw materials. The chemicals may lead to the development of complications such as cancer, blood pressure, etc (David, 2009, 1).

Local Products and Food Miles

The consumers are also concerned about the locations of places where some of the products that they use (John, 2007: p.22). The time that is used to transport these products form their production areas to the market is also a great concern to the consumers. The argument is that transporting some products from their production regions to the places where manufacturing takes place or to the market place could take quite some time. The safety of the raw materials and the final products has been questioned by many citizens. Everybody would like to use harmless products that will cause positive development to the consumer rather than expose the consumer to other dangers (Stanley, 2002:p.1).

Packaging

The way that a company packages its products is very important to the consumer. The impression that the packed product makes to the consumer in the first sight is very important (Thomas, 2000). However, not all products need some packaging. Some consumers would like to see the contents of the products that are being sold. Packaging should also be regulated so that the company packages what is enough for the needs of the customers at a given time

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(Arthur, 2002: 1). Cutting back means that the company now limits the way in which it does its packaging.

Natural Ingredients Food Products

The manufactured products that are offered by Alpine Food Company fall in different categories. Different ingredients are used in preparing these products. Consumers have raised concerns over the ingredients that have been used in preparing the products by Alpine Foods Company. The articles that have been used in generating this information have shown that many consumers prefer products manufactured using natural ingredients (Jan, 2002: p.22). This is because artificial ingredients contain some chemicals which are harmful to the human body. These chemicals can affect the health status of an individual especially if used for a long time.

Conclusion

Alpines food’s company has been a great manufacturer of different types of food. The company not only manufactures but also packages these manufactured products. The company’s market for its products has been deteriorating slowly which have led to the management’s attention to take the necessary steps. Previous research has been done and the management have pointed on the major issues that they feel greatly affects the market of their products. The main areas that the management have highlighted as areas of concern include; consumers concern about the environment under which the products are grown, produced, and manufactured, the packaging of the products, and consumers preference of products that have been produced using natural ingredients rather than artificial ingredients. Secondary research has been used to find out the relevance of the issues that the management have highlighted and make recommendations on the same.

Recommendations

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It has been found that consumers are concerned about the substances that are used in growing the agricultural products that the company uses in manufacturing some of its products. In relation, the company should lay down a list of the fertilisers and pesticides that farmers should use if at all the company will purchase raw materials from them. The manufactured feeds that have been used to rear livestock have been a concern to many. Consequently, the company should warn its producers of livestock against substances such as antibiotics and hormones in rearing their livestock. This will help in developing the market for the company to greater heights and at the same time maintain the good health of the users of the products. Some consumers are concerned about the time that is taken to transport some raw materials from their countries of production so that these raw materials can be used to manufacture the products. There is an assumption that these raw materials take too long for them to be fresh enough to make some safe products. The management should in turn use the fastest means in transporting not only the raw materials but also the manufactured products to their respective destinations. The company can also ensure that most of its products are produced and manufactured locally to meet the demands of the consumers. The company should also cut back on the way that it does its packaging and it should use natural ingredients in manufacturing its products.

Bibliography

Arthur, M. (2002). Up-graded Plant promises New Innovations in Food Packaging. Retrieved on 07-Sep-09 from http://www.convex.co.nz/news/news-archives/up-graded-plant-promises-new-i nnovations-in-food-packaging_51.htm

Carl. T. W. (2009). Alpine Race Brands, Inc: food and Beverages. New York: Jones & Barlet, 01-02.

David, U. L. (2009). Growth of the Ecological Market. Retrieved on 07-Sep-09 from http://www. visiteuropeonline.com/sweden/food.htm

Jan, W. (2002). Are Natural Ingredients Always Safer than Artificial Ingredients? Irwish and John, 22.

John, D. (2007). Agriculture and the Alps in the Present. Retrieved on 07-Sep-09 from http://ww w.alpes-dunord.com/imalp/upload/imalp_alpine_memorandum_english.pdf

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Stanley, C. (2002). Alpine Food Service: Products and Brands. Retrieved on 07-Sep-09 from ht tp://www.alpinefoodservice.com/products.cfm

Thomas, N. (2000). Packaging in Colorado. Retrieved on07-Sep-09 from http://www.thomasnet

.com/about/packaging-55550206.html