The Determining Factors for Adopting a Food Safety Management System in Algerian Agri-food Businesses

Abstract

This article analyses the main factors influencing implementing a food safety management system (FSMS) in Algerian agri-food companies. Our study focuses on 218 companies operating in the agri-food sector. We used the questionnaire and face-to-face interviews to facilitate data collection. We conducted a statistical analysis of linear correlation and a linear logistic model to assess the factors influencing the adoption of systems in these companies. The results of our study indicate that several key factors significantly influence the adoption of FSMS practices in food companies. This includes the age of the company, the age and education level of its leaders, the industry sector of the agri-food businesses, their target market, and the company's size. The results of our study indicate that companies established for 5 to 15 years have a probability of 43.5% and p-value = 0.043 of adopting the FSMS system, while those established for 15 to 25 years have a probability of 37.0% and p-value =0.012. Managers with a university education are very likely (91.3%) to implement an FSMS, with a p-value of 0.043. The analysis also shows that limited liability companies (LLCs) have the highest likelihood of adoption (50.0%, p=0.019) and that businesses targeting both local and international markets have a significant probability of adoption (10.6%, p=0.020). These results highlight the importance of experience, training, and market reach in promoting a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) in the agri-food sector.