Speedy food delivery systems are established amid rising concerns over food quality and safety
Kansai International Airport is the only one in Japan open 24 hours a day.
Food exporters in the Kansai region of Japan have begun testing out overnight air delivery of their products, allowing goods to appear in stores throughout Asia the very next day. The objective is to preserve quality and cut shipping costs by utilizing Kansai International Airport’s late-night flights, unavailable in other parts of Japan.
Test deliveries will be conducted until August with Wakayama peaches and Osaka grapes. The Wakayama peaches, for example, have previously been sent out in the daytime – which means they did not appear in stores in Taiwan for 3 days. This new method allows them to be sold almost immediately.
The new distribution system comes at a time when Japanese consumers are increasingly wary of food safety – especially of products from outside Japan. A new “food traceability” law is currently undergoing consideration by the government for implementation as early as 2009. Despite rising food prices and environmental issues, ways to maintain and reassure consumers regarding quality is still a major issue.
Natalie Meyer