The Argentinean lemon industry’s recently introduced certification, All Lemon Tested & Certified for Export, has exceeded all expectations in terms of quality control during its first season in operation.
Established by the country’s leading lemon producer-exporters – Argenti Lemon, Citrusvil, Citromax, Expofrut, FGF Trapani, Frutucumán, Ledesma, La Moraleja, Latin Lemon, Pablo Padilla and San Miguel – the seal certifies that fruit is produced, packed and exported under the highest quality standards.
“The fruit produced by the 11 companies (who are promoting the seal of quality) reached key customers in the European Union, Russia and Asia in excellent condition, and achieved a superior position vis-à-vis the quality standards expected by customers to satisfy increasingly higher demands,” the group said in a press statement.
To further this full-scale commitment, the 11 exporters have recruited an independent team of technical experts who are highly trained to perform strict audit procedures on the member companies.
This season, the most significant results achieved were: to control the 24 production lines of the 11 member companies, to carry out 800 inspections of packing lines, to inspect more than 5,000 cartons of fruit and to evaluate 560,000 fruit units during the 20-week period.
According to the group, the quality inspections were carried out according to a statistical and sampling analysis and design project created by experts at the School of Economics of the reputable University of Tucumán, and were performed by a team of inspectors led by the specialists of the Technical Quality Committee of the seal promoters.
To promote the enforcement of international standards within the industry, the group has now created a Quality Protocol with the advice of independent experts in the Food Directorate at the Undersecretariat of Food and Rural Affairs of Tucumán and the Ministry of Productive Development of the province of Tucumán.
The Quality Protocol includes a Quality Manual, and instructions for sampling and data surveys, sample classification according to specific quality data, and the analysis of the data surveyed.
In addition, the companies involved have also jointly made efforts to enhance their reputation as socially responsible corporations which are committed to caring for the environment, the development of their employees and the surrounding communities.
