Spanish citrus association Ailimpo is set to present a new certification standard for lemon packhouses at this year’s Fruit Logistica, which it is hoped will serve as a form of self-regulation for the sector.
In a statement, Ailimpo said the System for the Certification and Standardisation of Lemon Packhouses, which has been designed by the association, would help identify Spanish lemon exporters as companies that guarantee the supply of high quality fruit.
The organisation said the development of the protocol had been one of its goals for 2009, adding that it was already beginning to roll-out the standard this year.
Ailimpo said it now planned to launch the certification system publicly at Fruit Logistica 2010, where it will present the system to importers, retailers and distributors.
The group said the aim of the system for certification was to guarantee that packhouses complied with a series of minimum standards, including food safety, environmental management, worker health and safety, and corporate social responsibility.
The protocol also puts in place a standard contact governing buying from growers.
To date, Ailimpo said that 19 lemon export companies had signed up to the standard and had converted their facilities to comply with the certification system.
