Investigation of Food Poisoning Outbreak

Investigation of Food Poisoning Outbreak Christian Nehme INTRODUCTION An investigation of a food poisoning outbreak requires some knowledge into what food poisoning is and some common culprit bacteria which trigger such outbreaks. Food poisoning, also known as foodborne illness, is the name for the range of illnesses caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or drink. Food poisoning occurs in two main ways: poisoning by toxic agent or by infectious agent. Food intoxication is when the food contains toxins, usually occurring when the organism that produced the toxin is no longer present or able to cause infection. Food infection, on the other hand, is when the food contains bacteria which infect the body after it is eaten. Foodborne illness is quite common, affecting almost 5.5 million Australians each year. Two common food poisoning causing bacteria are B.cereus vs S. aureus. Bacillus species are Gram positive, aerobic heterotrophs, with the ability to form resistant spore coats. Do they have similar symptoms, toxins? cases in Australia. Description of Scenario As a special treat paid for by the Department of Health and Aging, 435 pensioners were taken on a catered summer’s day harbour cruise. Later that day, a number of the participants became very ill. The food was prepared on shore and brought onto the boat that day, The boat left Circular Quay at around 10am and cruised around Sydney Harbour past Watsons Bay, into Darling Harbour and disembarking at Circular Quay at 3pm.. The water was rather calm and there was a medium breeze. Local hospitals and ambulances were mobilized to respond to the outbreak. It also came to the attention of the local PHU and their personnel were able to retrieve some remnant food and patient specimens from the scene and hospitals. Questionnaires were distributed to the guest list once this was obtained by the local PHU and the NSW Food Authority. Of the questionnaires sent out, 339 were returned providing the following information. Symptoms Of the total number who were sick, 153 suffered severe diarrhoea; 139 vomited; 122 experienced abdominal cramps; 117 said that they felt nauseous; 11 complained of numbness in the arms and legs; and 3 developed haematuria. Thankfully no deaths were recorded as a consequence of this outbreak. Reported details on illness, and what was eaten and not eaten were compiled into Food Attack Tables. RESULTS Number of individuals who attended the cruise:435 Number of questionnaires returned:339 Number of individuals who suffered diarrhea: 153 Number of individuals who suffered vomiting: 139 Number of individuals who suffered abdominal cramps: 122 Number of individuals who suffered nausea: 117 Number of individuals who suffered numbness in arms / legs: 139 Number of individuals who suffered haematuria: 139 Number of deaths: 0 The incubation periods of the sick individuals (number of cases) are displayed in Figure 1. The food-specific attack rates for foods thought to be implicated are shown in Table 1. Figure 1: Epidemic curve presenting incubation periods of sick pensioners aboard the harbour cruise. Results obtained from responses to a questionnaire. Onset times appear as two distinct peaks, one occurring between 2-3 hours and the other between 6-15 hours, after consuming lunch. Data Calculated Percentage morbidity: (219 x 100) / 339 = 64.6% Percentage mortality: (0 x 100) / 339= 0.0% Percentage case fatality rate: (0 x 100) / 219= 0.0% Average incubation period: = 9.9 Hours Table 1: Food-specific Attack rates using data from questionnaire and other calculations including the Odds Ratio, Chi squared and Confidence Interval for each food type. Odds Ratio: An odds ratio greater than 1 indicates a higher risk of becoming risk on eating that particular food type. In Table 1 above, all meats have an odds ratio less than 1, and only Rice Pudding with Custard has an odds ratio greater than 1. Confidence Interval: the Odds Ratio is within a 95% confidence level if the CI does not include 1. From Table 1, Roast Lamb is the only food not within a 95% confidence level, whilst the 3 other food types are within a 95% confidence level. Chi-Squared: Ho = the sickness is not a result of any of the food consumed H1 = the sickness is a result of any of the food consumed When the P-Value is less than 0.05 (non-significant), the null hypothesis can be rejected. Since the P-Value is less than 0.05 for the Chicken, Ham Rice Pudding, the null hypothesis can be rejected, indicating that the case of the sickness was due to the consumption of either one of, or a combination of these foods. Since the P-Value of the Roast Lamb is much greater than 0.05, the null hypothesis cannot be rejected, signifying that the consumption of the Roast Lamb was most probably not a cause of the sickness. % Ill (Attack Rate): this is a measurement of correlation of the percentage of passengers who got sick and the total number who ate or did not eat a specific type of food. The correlation for Rice Pudding was the one to stand out, where only 20% of the passengers who did not eat rice pudding actually reported that they got sick. This is dramatically less than the other food types, which were above 60% each. Also, Rice Pudding had the highest attack rate of 57.8%. Flowchart of Experiment Food Swabs Cook’s Nose Swab Faecal Swab Results of Experiment DISCUSSION As evident from Figure 1, the number of cases are spread out from 2-21 hours after consuming lunch. There are 2 distinct peaks, occurring at 2-3 and 6-15 hours after consuming lunch. At this stage, a pathogen can possibly be the causative agent as it has shown to portray such symptoms on passing from the Upper Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) to the Lower GIT(Kho et al. 2011). These peaks can be linked with vomiting and diarrhoea, respectively. Of the commonly known pathogens, Bacillus cereus, a spore-forming pathogen, causes two distinct forms of foodborne effects: an emetic syndrome (vomiting-typified by an incubation period of 1–6 hours) and a diarrheal illness typified by an incubation period of 6–24 hours (Benenson AS, ed). Table 1 yields useful results which play a critical role in identifying the trigger organism for the outbreak. The attack rate for people who ate the different food types was the highest for Rice Pudding Custard (57.8%), although the other food types were closely behind, Roast Lamb being the closest at 56%. This is not enough information to be able to conclude the causative food type since the attack rate only ranges by 7%. This close range could be due to the fact that these food types were consumed in varying combinations, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact, single food at fault. This attack rate, however, can be combined with the attack rate of the pensioners who did not eat a particular food type, giving a clearer picture as to what the causative food source was. Rice Pudding Custard, having the lowest attack rate at just 20%, suggests that if it were not eaten, the chance of becoming ill is heavily less compared to the nearest food type, Roast Lamb, with an attack rate of 62.2%. This, combined with the high attack rate of pensioners who ate the Rice Pudding Custard, signals it to be the culprit source of pathogens. The odds ratio of Rice Pudding Custard, being 5.47, is significantly greater than other food types (which are all less than 1), suggesting that the risk of becoming ill upon consumption is 5.47 times greater than if Rice Pudding weren’t consumed. Furthermore, since the P-Value is less than 0.05 for the Chicken, Ham Rice Pudding, the null hypothesis can be rejected (that the sickness is not a result of any of the food consumed). This indicates that the case of the sickness was due to the consumption of either one of, or a combination of these foods. Since the P-Value of the Roast Lamb is much greater than 0.05, the null hypothesis cannot be rejected, signifying that the consumption of the Roast Lamb was most probably not a cause of the outbreak. However, the Confidence Interval for Rice Pudding Custard lies within a 95% confidence level, further supporting the claim that the Rice Pudding Custard was the causative food source. Knowing the possible food source which triggered the outbreak, and having an idea that the causative organism behind the outbreak was B. cereus (due to the two peaks correlating to the typical symptoms), laboratory investigations were then conducted to conclude what the exact organism was. The first test conducted was inoculating each food sample onto a PEMBA plate. The results varied as to the PEMBA count (cfu/g), possibly due to experimental error. However, Rice Pudding had the highest consistent overall count, with 8.5 x106 and 7.9 x 106 cfu/g. The colonies that grew on the PEMBA plates for the Chicken, Ham and Roast Lamb were small, yellow colonies, measuring approximately 1-2mm each, indicating the possibility of Gram Positive Cocci. The Rice Pudding, however, displayed large (4-5mm), matt blue colonies with a halo of precipitate. The PEMBA isolate for the Rice Pudding were Gram Positive Rods, occurring in chains with an oval central spore. The lipid granule test was positive an d catalase positive, with motile cells. Since none of the other food types PEMBA isolates showed GPR, no further testing was conducted on Chicken, Ham and Roast Lamb. Salmonella, Enterococcus and Shigella may have been possible pathogenic causing bacteria which contributed to the outbreak. In order to eliminate or support this possibility, a Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD) plate was used. Faecal swabs of the sick pensioners who had eaten a particular food type were inoculated onto the XLD media. The only differentiating outcome was the appearance of the colonies of the faecal sample from people who consumed the Rice Pudding Custard, were slightly larger than those for the other food types. No definitive conclusion can be made from this. Faecal swabs were also plated on PEMBA plates and inoculated into the XLD media. The PEMBA plates displayed small, yellow Gram Positive Cocci colonies for the Chicken, Ham Roast Lamb specimens. The Rice Pudding Custard however, displayed large, Gram Positive Rods, which appeared as large, blue, matte colonies when sub-cultured onto the PEMBA plates. This further supports the finding that B.cereus was the causat ive organism. The next step is to eliminate any possibility that the pathogen Staphylococci spp had any part to play, or to confirm that it did. To do this, the Cook’s nose swab was inoculated on Blood Agar (BA) to stablish haemolysis and on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), as a selective mechanism for salt-tolerant microorganisms such as Staphylococcus or Enterococcus. After testing, small, round, flat, ÃŽ ³ – haemolytic white colonies were seen on the Blood Agar, with the BA Isolate being Gram Positive Cocci, occurring in clusters and being catalase positive. Although this suggests the possible presence of a Staphylococci species, the MSA plate rendered small, white colonies with pink agar throughout. The pink agar confirms that the Mannitol was not fermented, which is an indicator that no Staphylococci species was present. Further proof for the non-existence of S.aureus was seen with the Latex test displaying no clumping. In order to confirm that B.cereus was the causative organism for the outbreak, further tests were conducted. These include gelatin positive, starch positive, casein negative, nitrate positive (no gas formed). The sample tested positive for Glucose VP. This means that glucose was broken down by the Rice Pudding specimen to form acetoin, and was evident through the dark red colour formed. B.cereus tested negative for the indole test, meaning it was unable to split indole from tryptophan (Wong, Chang Fan 1988). All these test results correspond with the presence of B. cereus and at this point, we are more confident that this is the causative organism. To test for purity, and to confirm that no other specimen influenced these results, a BHIA purity test was performed, which resulted with a pure result, meaning the listed test results were solely caused by the Rice Pudding Custard specimen. Through the results of the media growth and the results of the confirmatory tests conducted, it was determined that the causative food source was the Rice Pudding Custard, which contained a strain of B.cereus. This resulted through the Cook not cooking the Rice at the ideal temperature, and since the temperature used was hot enough to trigger the B.cereus to enter their vegetative state, but was not high enough to kill the B.cereus, this resulted in the widespread growth of the specimen. Accompanied with the fact that the rice was prepared the night before and the warmer environment in which the rice was kept for the period of time overnight were suitable conditions and promoted its growth, further accounts for the growth of B.cereus (Jesen et al. 2003). Outbreaks such as this could be avoided, and at least minimised if some precautions were taken by all those involved with the handling, making and consuming of foods. The following list outlines some main ways through which this can be achieved (Klietmann, W, 2002): Storage of hot food above 600C and cold food in the fridge below 40C Keeping cooked and raw food separated at all times, to avoid cross-contamination Using separate chopping boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods Improving hygiene such as washing hands before and after contact with food Utilising a heat process to destroy the vegetative cells and a rapid cooling process to prevent the spores from germinating Using appropriate cleaning and disinfection of contact surfaces of food, such as sodium hypochlorite based disinfectants Keep frozen foods frozen until used Cooked foods which won’t be consumed within an hour should be kept at temperatures below 10Â °C or above 50Â °C (Roberts, T.A) Experimental Method The main source of primary data was obtained from the questionaries. The accuracy of the answers to the questions asked has a direct influence on the results obtained, and on the findings extracted from the questionaries. Thus, if the questionnaires are completed accurately and in detail, the reliability of the results would increase and a higher potential in obtaining accurate leads as to which species were the triggers to the outbreak would be attained. However, out of the 435 pensioners who were on the cruise, only 339 questionnaires were completed and returned to the local PHU the NSW Food Authority. This leaves 96 unaccounted for pensioners, which would have aided and fastened the search for the possible trigger. These 96 absences could have been a result of the pensioners not wanting to give out personal information, not having an easy method of returning the questionnaires, and some pensioners may not have received the questionaries in the first place. This absence of 96 resp onses has a direct effect on the accuracy of the collected data from these questionnaires, as the data is only a sample of the population, and is not a complete reflection of all pensioners involved. Furthermore, more detailed questions could have been asked on the questionnaires which may have sped the process of identifying the relationship between the symptoms caused and the time of onset. Improvements with the data collection could have involved the collection of vomit and diarrhoea samples, which would have helped identify the pathogen early on in the investigation. API strips could have been used to aid in identifying the pathogen as fast as possible, as well as using advanced technological methods. Testing the venue of where the food was prepared further and analysing all possible contributions to the outbreak at the source by further investigating the cook, the staff involved, whether other foods were being prepared at the same time, the overall hygiene of the kitchen, pest related influences, and previous occurrences and whether any have occurred since. Continuous monitoring of all food preparation methods and staff involved since the occurrence will aid in preventing a reoccurrence. A stricter enforcement of an increased hygiene standard could be rolled out onto not only similar cruise companies, but also all kitchens and restaurants throughout Australia. The most feasible and economical method would be to allocate fortnightly swabs of the kitchen, staff, floors, equipment and food samples at all these food-related location, and be sent to relevant laboratories to be analysed and reported. A safety-tick program could be implemented which takes these results and businesses ca n display them, notifying customers that they conduct regular hygiene tests and have passed all tests, giving the customer piece of mind that their chances of getting food poisoning is less likely. REFERENCES Jenson, I Moir, C. J: In Foodborne Micro-organisms of Public Health Significance. A. D. Hocking et al. (editor) 6th edition. AIFST (NSW Branch) Waterloo NSW 2003. SAA: Australian Standard. Food Microbiology. Method 2.6: Examination for specific organisms – AS 1766.2.6, pp. D8-D12, 1991. Benenson AS, ed. Control of communicable diseases in man. 15th ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 1990:177–8. Kho, M.F., Bellier, A., Balasubramani, V., Hu, Y., Hsu, W., Nielsen-LeRoux, C., McGillivray, S.M., Nizet, V. Aroian, R.V. 2011, The pore-forming protein Cry5B elicits the pathogenicity of Bacillus sp. against Caenorhabditis elegans, PLoS One, vol. 6, no. 12, p. e29122. Wong, H., Chang, M. Fan, J. 1988, Incidence and characterization of Bacillus cereus isolates contaminating dairy products, Applied and environmental microbiology, vol. 54, pp. 699-702. Jesen, G.B., Hansen, B.M., Eilenberg, J. Mahillon, J. 2003, The hidden lifestyles of Bacillus ceresus and relatives, Environmental microbiology, vol. 5, pp. 631-40. Roberts, T. A.; Baird-Parker, A. C.; Tompkin, R. B. (1996). Characteristics of microbial pathogens. London: Blackie Academic Professional. p.24. Klietmann, W. and Ruoff, K. 2002. Bioterrorism: Implications for the Clinical Microbiologist. Amer. Soc. Micro. 14(2):364-381.

My College Experience :: Personal Narrative Writing

My College Experience My decision to change schools from The University of North Texas to come to Penn State, leaving behind friends I had made was a difficult and long process. The months leading to the decision were filled with a lot of stress, and put strain on family and friends alike. Adding to the situation was the strain of my not having a car, and not being able to afford to fix my current one. Even with these factors pressuring me, I think I managed to make the right decision, and left UNT, and came to Penn State. I should have known right from the start that I would have problems. My first day on the UNT campus I was told I would have to redo nearly all of my previous college work. They had different history, language, and English requirements than did my community college from Pennsylvania, and despite providing course descriptions, the classes that did match up, were named differently that theirs, so they denied transferring nearly all of my classes. After a fight, I resolved to take the classes that they required differently from my community college, for example, American History, where I had European history. Things were not fixed yet, but at least I was taking classes, and making progress.To further worsen things, I fell ill not a week into the semester. An initial strain of the flu had me running a fever of 102, and made me pretty much unable to do anything. I managed to get over it in about a week, but then I got a secondary infection which once again raised my body temperature to 102+. I finally went to see a doctor. He explained what happened why my fever broke and came back. He also prescribed antibiotics and cough medicine which got me on my feet again after another week. When I came back, professors were not willing to work with me at all, doctor’s note or no doctor’s note. My physics class even had a test the first day I was back, and I was forced to take it totally unprepared. Needless to say I failed the test miserably. To my surprise, so did the rest of the class. I managed to catch up in all my other classes to the point where I could expect a C, but I never recovered from physics, and ended up needing to retake it, and having my GPA smudged.

Virtual Reality In Theatre Spaces

This dissertation will explore the effects of virtual reality in theatre spaces and how it effects people's perception and experience about space and how the technology has advanced in past years.With the advancements in technology,the experience in theatre spaces has become hyper real thereby allowing people to perceive spaces in a different way. The concept of virtual reality can be introduced in film festivals by assessing the possible effects and influences that the VR might have on people and movie experiences.This dissertation will also focus on how the movie experience changes by immersing yourself in the movie cutting you off from the people and surrounding,there by understanding the problems and challenges faced by people using surveys and questionnaires.INTRODUCTIONVirtual Reality is the computer-generated simulation of a three dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.The technological advancements today have led to various explorations in different fields. The various VR systems available today areOculus RiftHTC'S VR system with controllersSamsung gear VRGoogle cardboardTreadmill and haptic glovesVR movie watching is a 360 degree immersive experience where the viewer is at the center of action.As a scene unfolds,viewer has the choice to look in whichever direction he wants and become absorbed in whatever part of the action they choose.In VR cinemas, talking part is designed to be more about the technology and experience rather than the movie.When we watch movies,the action/reaction happens only within the narrative,but VR systems are considered to be linking human intelligence with artificial intelligence thereby engaging the audience.RESEARCH PROBLEMHow does introducing virtual reality in theatre spaces change the perception of movie experience and affect the psychology of people and what are the outcomes? AIM : The aim of this research is to study the incorporation of virtual reality spaces in theatre complex and to study the impact on people's behaviour and how they experience the space. The main idea is also to study on different VR technologies and the application of it in theatre spaces and to understand how virtual reality helps in improving the movie experiences by making it hyper real. OBJECTIVES:The main objective of this research is to understand how people perceive such environments and how people cope up with the change in the viewing atmosphere of a movie theatre.To study how the implementation of Virtual Reality technology in theater spaces will have its own reflections on theater design.To understand how the technological advancements have helped in improving the cinematic experience.SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS:This research will be limited to :Exploration of different virtual reality systems and the scope of it in future.Exploration of proposals of virtual realityUnderstanding the limitations and challenges of using VR in moviesUnderstanding the psychological impact of VR on people .The study will not be focusing on :Design guidelinesPrimary CasestudiesDATA COLLECTION : HISTORY AND EVOLUTION: Pictures have been used as a medium of communication for thousand years.But the canvas and techniques for drawing them have changed radically. Modern computer graphics have provided for many years,the newest and potentially most expressive media for pictoral communication . Improvements in the power and accessibility of interactive 3D graphic system have recently added a new dimension. By sensing the position and orientation of the human head and coupling the resulting data into a high performance computer graphics system,it is possible to generate a computer synthesized view of a virtual world wherever the user is looking.This is known as VR. CHALLENGES :Virtual Reality is a new concept in cinematic field. While the whole concept of the film festival is to bring people together for screening the movies,introducing virtual reality in the theatre could be a challenging aspect as different people might have different opinion on the concept of virtual reality. The only way to watch a VR film is to put on a headset—imagine a padded scuba-diving mask and a pair of headphones—which cuts you off from everyone and everything around you. In some ways, VR films are the opposite of what film festivals stand for.  The dissertation will focus on exploring more about the possibilities of improving the movie experiences with and without VR technology. It could be argued that in the future the participation might lower to individual contribution rather than a group involvement. Early VR headsets made some users feel nauseous. â€Å"The stereotype of virtul reality is an isolated person sitting alone in a room,their head sealed with a helme.Tribeca immersive programming at the tribeca film festival tries to make VR more tangible and social experience † PROPOSALS FOR VR :The global VR market ,which was valued at about $2 billion last year is expected to reach approximately $27 billion by 2022. Virtual reality isn't just for gaming anymore. VR movies are becoming mainstream with several Hollywood A-list directors jumping on board with a new approach to storytelling. Virtual Reality cities – Hypatia by Timefire media Virtual reality social networking – Vtime by Starship group. Virtual Reality tours by Chernobyl vrVirtual Reality research by Visualization laboratory. Architecture by Iris Vr. † A prominent project – Hero allows users to move around freely in a simulated syrian neighbourhood.† RESEARCH PAPER AUTHOR SUMMARYFusion of reality and virtual reality Narin SappakitThe research paper mainly focuses on how digital technology can be implemented between film and architecture.As walls and skin of the building can now become screens, changing the way the building relates and interacts to its context and the way people experience space.How does virtual reality influence cinema ? Exploring a possible future of cinematic environment by Benan DemirThe paper focuses on the new technology of virtual reality on the cinema and how the two may collaborate and converge. It also explores on the existing virtual cinema products and argue how they might converge in futureVirtual Reality in Theatre spaces Sherouk Mohamed Shehab El Din Saad Bad The paper focuses on two aspects.Traditional theatre spaces and virtual reality and its impact in theatre spaces.The study is based on creating virtual reality spaces with unlimited design creativity for entertainment and education by using dif ferent VR systems.Also by adding new architecture approaches to form spaces that can highly implement Virtual Reality TechnologyWhy virtual reality will change the design forever? Article by Mark Wilson Discusses about the various reasons and the positive sides of vr technologyTribeca film festivalHow virtual reality is changing the way we experience stage shows?Virtual Reality Movies: VR revolution Article Gabriel ElizondoArticle by The Conversation blog.The wall street journal Talks about how Tribeca Film Festival for the first time, showcases a theatre constructed for cinema-goers to fully experience films in 360 degrees. Discusses about the development f VR in recent years. When virtual reality is used interactively it opens up whole new worlds to be explored. The traditional relationship between space-actor-spectator becomes a space-spectator relationship. The audience is no longer in a passive role. Dramatic action is substituted by a real action, and how it plays out is shaped by the spectators. Talks about how Hollywood is Changing with Vr technology. Viewing VR is starkly different than watching a traditional film: With conventional movies, the director dictates your focus of attention. An aerial view cuts to a medium shot cuts to a close up—giving you no say in what you see. But virtual reality puts you in charge. The headset allows you to observe any aspect of a setting and, in some cases, even affect the way the story unfolds depending on where you look. Advancement of VR in marketing and investment – a digital survey report: â€Å"With investment in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) on the rise, the results of a new survey by global law firm Perkins Coie LLP depict a growing industry that is moving to a greater focus on more practical applications, while facing concerns reflective of an expanding customer base. The survey of startup founders, technology company executives, investors and consultants, released in March 2018, follows the firm's inaugural AR/VR Surveyreleased in September 2016. † Biggest obstacle for mass adoption of VR technology Literature survey anaysis :Industry insights to the future of VR Gaming was considered as the sector they expected to attract the most investment for the Coming year but wasn't strong in 2018.with military,movies,among the areas making gains. Most of the respondents said that user experience was the top obstacle for VR because of Heavy headgears cost being the second biggest obstacle . The drop for movies and television could stem from a belief that shorter experiences work better VR. But the drop for live events and the annuncements including the October 2017 announcement that Facebook would use Oculus technology to allow its users to watch live concerts and sports with friends from around the world. â€Å"Overall, the survey shows that those in the industry have strong confidence in the potential of AR and VR. One respondent called this era a formative and experimental phase—one that will create significant rewards for both developers and players in the not-too-distant future.† SURVEY REPORT – QUESTIONNAIRE In a survey conducted among 20 people around 10 people have experienced VR more than 4 times. As the technology is advancing VR people are getting more Familiar with the devices used hence contributing to the Growth of VR industry. According to the survey, only 5% of 20 people haven't come across the devices used.

Barilla Spa Essay - 1378 Words

Barilla Spa (A) Case Questions 1. Diagnose the underlying causes of the difficulties that the JITD program was created to solve. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this program? 2. What conflicts or barriers internal to Barilla doe the JITD program create? What causes these conflicts? As Giorgio Maggiali, how would you deal with these? 3. Why are Barilla’s customers so resistant to the JITD idea? How might Maggiali be more successful in persuading customer to at least try the JITD program? 4. In the environment in which Barilla operated in 1990, do you believe JITD would be feasible? Effective? If so, which customer would you target next? How would you convince them that the JITD program was worth trying?†¦show more content†¦Diagnose the underlying causes of the difficulties that the JITD program was created to solve. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this program? 2. What conflicts or barriers internal to Barilla doe the JITD program create? What causes these conflicts? As Giorgio Maggiali, how would you deal with these? 3. Why are Barilla’s customers so resistant to the JITD idea? How might Maggiali be more successful in persuading customer to at least try the JITD program? 4. In the environment in which Barilla operated in 1990, do you believe JITD would be feasible? Effective? If so, which customer would you target next? How would you convince them that the JITD program was worth trying? If not, what alternatives would you suggest to combat some of the difficulties that Barilla’s operating system faces? In general, if one party is to make the inventory replenishment decisions for the system, who should it be? Why is it Barilla who is making the decision? Why doesn’t Barilla pass information to the distributor and let the distributor make the â€Å"system-optimal† decision? 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By following the suggestions made in the plan of action, Barilla will succeed in influencing its distributors and Sales personnel toRead MoreBarilla Spa - 10765 Words   |  4 PagesBarilla SpA is an Italian pasta manufacturer comprised of 7 divisions: 3 pasta, bakery, bread, catering, and international. By 1990, Barilla had become the largest pasta manufacturer in the world. The company ships its pasta to one of two central distribution centers (CDC) where it is bought by individual supermarket distributors called grande distribuzione (GD for larger supermarkets) and distribuzione organizzata (DO for smaller, independent supermarkets). During the late 1980s, the distributorsRead MoreBarilla Spa Case1179 Words   |  5 PagesBarilla SPA Operations amp; supply chain management Case study 2012 1 Is there any evidence that Barilla faces the bullwhip effect? If so, what causes of the bullwhip effect are present? Barilla has two products lines, â€Å"dry products representing 75% of sales† and â€Å"fresh products representing 25% of sales†. Products are shipped from plants to one of the two central distribution centers (CDCs). Each CDC held about a month’s worth of dry product inventory. There are three typesRead MoreCase Barilla Spa (a)1345 Words   |  6 PagesCase Barilla SpA (A) Discussion Question 1. Answer these questions about the Barilla case study; a. Diagnose the underlying causes of the difficulties that the JITD program was created to solve. What are the benefits of this program? The main underlying cause of the difficulties that the JITD program was created to solve is the effect of fluctuating demand which can be divided the root causes as per below. * Transportation Discounts * Volume Discounts * Promotional Activities Read MoreEssay on Barilla Spa Case1268 Words   |  6 PagesBarilla SpA Case Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Issues Identification 3 Environmental and Root Cause Analysis 3 Alternatives or Options 4 Recommendation and Implementation 5 Monitor and Control 6 Conclusion 6 Executive Summary Barilla’s high stock out rates along with large average inventory numbers are the main reasons why Maggiali is looking to continue on with Vitali’s dream of implementing the Just In Time Distribution system. However, faced with great external resistance