Process manages and hygienic practices of local beverages producers and sellers in Ouagadougou,Burkina Faso

The trade of local beverages and ice has become popular in many developing countries including Burkina Faso. This study was performed to determine the local beverages safety knowledge of producers and sellers in Ouagadougou. Face-to-face interviews of 233 producers and sellers were conducted. The approach used concerned the process of good hygiene and production. The data were collected following observation checklists and an adapted set of questions: knowledge of risk perception, training, personal hygiene, cleanliness of the selling site, water supply, refreshment condition, packaging materials, food handling practices and foodborne pathogens. Data were analysed by using means, frequencies, standard deviation, 95% confidence interval and t-test. The results of survey showed that women represent 94% of 233 total sellers. Eighty five percent 85.4% did not receive appropriate training about food hygiene and 72.5% of them did not know the reasons of local beverages and ice contamination. Only 35.6% of the sellers used freeze system to store beverages. Poor quality of water and hands implicated to local beverage manufacturing were respectively assigned 8.6% and 7.3%. Statistical analyses revealed significant difference (P < 0.05) between hygiene training and stationary sellers (P = 0.004), hygiene training and source of water (P = 0.02), hygiene training and cold chain (P = 0.013). In view of the socio economic importance of local beverages and their role in the unexpected arrival of food-borne diseases, local beverages sellers should be regularly trained, retrained in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.     

To sell or not to sell: Exploring sellers' trust and risk of chargeback fraud in cross‐border electronic commerce

Over the past few decades, chargeback fraud from buyers has been identified as a major risk faced by online sellers, particularly small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises, in cross‐border electronic commerce. However, most previous studies have focused on trust and perceived risk from the buyers' perspective and in domestic online marketplaces, while neglecting the importance of sellers' trust and perceived risk in the success of online transactions and the significance of cross‐border transactions. To fill this gap in the literature, this study examines both the antecedents and the impacts of sellers' trust in buyers and their perceived risk of chargeback fraud on sellers' intention to trade with buyers in the context of cross‐border e‐commerce. To this end, we develop a conceptual model that identifies a set of institutional mechanisms to enhance sellers' trust and reduce their perceived risk. Hypotheses are tested via a survey of 443 sellers on DHgate.com , one of the major cross‐border e‐commerce websites connecting the small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises of mainland China with overseas buyers. Our research makes concrete contributions to e‐commerce research and generates useful insights for third‐party online transaction platforms and online trade policy makers.     

多智能体协同选择的智能导购模型

基于多智能体协同选择提出了一种导购选择模型,该模型可识别其他可信买方智能体("值得信赖的朋友"),并将它们关于卖方的信息结合自身关于卖方的信息综合起来协同选择质高价低的卖方,从而实现高质量的导购性能。构建了一个存在多种类型的买方和卖方的购物模拟环境,并进行了多组实验。实验结果表明,该模型可以准确地识别可信买方智能体,并可在复杂的购物环境中高效地选择出优质卖方。此外,实验结果还表明,有了该模型,单个买方智能体选择优质卖方的能力要明显高于无多智能体协同选择情况下单个买方智能体的选择能力。     

广西区内食品销售者参与食品安全追溯体系的影响因素

目的探究广西食品销售者参与食品安全追溯体系构建的主要影响因素。方法通过理论假设及问卷调查,以广西区内120家食品销售单位为实例,主要从内部影响因素、购销行为、对食品安全状况的认知、对质量安全追溯体系的认知和外部环境影响等5个方向进行调研,对问卷进行统计分析,建立Logistic模型。结果显著影响销售者参与追溯体系的因素有:性别(P=0.039)、采购索要采购凭证(P=0.087)、销售提供购销凭证(P=0.080)、对市场上食品安全状况的判断(P=0.090)、对食品追溯体系的了解程度(P=0.058)、对责任的认知(P=0.029)和政府补贴(P=0.054)等。结论在广西目前的食品销售状态下,需要从责任回溯和风险规避的角度加大对食品追溯体系的知识宣传,政府部门应降低补贴条件门槛、简化申请程序,全面增强销售者对食品追溯体系在食品安全管理上的信任与信心。