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Quality Assurance

To ensure delivery of quality produce to our customers, we have incorporated a comprehensive quality assurance program that covers activities in our field, packing and transportation operations. This comprehensive program includes Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HAACP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

HACCP programs are food safety systems that are used to identify potential problems that may occur at any point during food production and distribution. They address chemical, physical and biological hazards that may occur in the packinghouse, during transportation or at the final destination.

In addition to HACCP, we use Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in our packing, cooling and shipping operations and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in our field operations. This comprehensive quality assurance effort ensures a steady supply of quality produce for our customers worldwide. Please find below more details of our quality assurance program by activity:

Harvesting

We avoid fruit harvest in rainy conditions to prevent post harvest disorders. All harvest equipment is inspected daily for mechanical efficiency, safety and cleanliness.

We never allow harvested fruit to come in contact with the orchard soil. Harvest bins are cleaned regularly.

Overfilling bins is avoided to prevent physical deterioration of the fruit and/or damage to the pulp.

All harvested fruit is kept out of direct sunlight to prevent sunburn.

All fruit must undergo an initial inspection upon arrival at the packinghouse to evaluate general physical condition and maturity. Our personnel adhere to strict guidelines when inspecting each lot upon arrival.

Lot numbers are immediately assigned to all harvested fruit to allow for full traceability from the orchard to the store.

Fruit sorting and grading

All fruit is graded according to the standards set by each market in which the fruit is sold. Our inspectors adhere to strict specifications as defined by mechanical damage, insect damage, disease, defects, sunburn, fruit shape and color, and the presence of any foreign materials.

Packing

Packing line personnel continue to monitor fruit for compliance with appearance, color, shape and size uniformity, absence of damage, consistency in container weights, and consistency in individual fruit weight as specified by international guidelines.

Critical information (lot number, date packed, orchard registration number, packinghouse registration number) is documented for all our packages to facilitate tracking.

Palletization

Pallets are inspected regularly for general physical condition.

Critical information for each pallet is identified and documented including pallet number, lot number, weight and destination.

Pre-cooling

Our personnel follow strict guidelines in the conditioning operation. We pre-cool all our fruit using forced-air systems to maximize the products shelf life.

Temperatures are adjusted according to the level of maturity. And we closely monitor pulp temperatures, room temperature, relative humidity and cooling rates.

Transportation

Our personnel carefully inspects every truck and container for cleanliness, absence of odors, physical condition of the truck or container floor, walls and ceiling, hermetic sealing, and anchoring.