Fresh Produce Safety

Fresh produce, including all raw agricultural products but predominantly fruit and vegetables, is a global market worth over 250 billion USD. Of all fruits and vegetables grown globally, an estimated 80% and 70% respectively are sold as whole fresh produce.

In this substantial market, retailers and consumers have ever increasing demands not only for quality, but also for transparency into the ethical and environmental practices of producers. To meet expectations and secure the trust of consumers, it’s important to choose the right food safety, quality and sustainability standards.

Fresh Produce Inspection, Audit and Certification Value

Being a high-risk product category, fresh produce requires careful harvesting, suitable packaging, fast shipping and proper storage. Delays in your supply chain and disruptions in storage conditions can seriously impact product quality or lead to contamination. Failures at any stage can be detrimental. Quality and safety checks during harvesting, storage, handling and shipping can help you secure your fresh produce supply chain.

Beyond quality, demand for responsibly sourced, sustainable food is growing. Consumers want more environmentally-friendly and ethically produced food choices. Negative press due to worker abuse or destruction of natural resources is bad for brand reputation, and consumers want to know that producers are making sustainability a priority.

QIMA can help with a range of quality inspections, audits and certifications for the produce industry that ensure the quality, safety and sustainability of your products.

QIMA Fresh Produce Industry Solutions

Certifications

We can help you get certified under a number of internationally recognized schemes:

• GLOBALG.A.P.

  • IFA FV, HPSS, PSA, HOP, PHA

  • Add-Ons: FSMA, GRASP, Nurture, DILL GROW)

• SQF

  • Food Safety Fundamentals and Food Safety Code

  • Primary Production Code

  • Quality Program

• PrimusGFS and Primus Standard (GAP)

• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

Audits

Demonstrate your commitment to quality and sustainability with QIMA and QIMA/WQS audits:

• Ethical audits:

  • SMETA (Sedex)

• Supplier assurance audits:

  • BRCGS Start!

  • IFS Progress Food

  • SQF Fundamentals

  • Costco Audits

QIMA offers fresh produce inspections for the following:

• Berries and cherries: blueberries, blackberries, cherries

• Tropical fruits: mangos, pineapples, kiwi

• Traditional fruits: apples, pears, avocados, grapes, lemons, oranges, clementine

• Other fruits and vegetables: lettuce, asparagus, tomatoes, chilies

Inspections include:

• Quality checks (color, maturity, firmness, shape)

• Weight and diameter evaluation

• Defect identification (including amount and seriousness of defects)

Why Do You Need Fresh Produce Certifications, Inspections and Audits?

• Add value to your products, access new markets, and increase business opportunities by complying with globally recognized standards that ensure quality and sustainability.

• Reduce your exposure to risks impacting brand reputation due to quality issues or negative press.

• Secure your fresh produce supply chain by correcting identified non-conformities.

• Continuously improve the efficiency of production processes and management systems while improving quality and sustainability.

Why Choose QIMA for Fresh Produce Solutions?

Efficient communication and service

• Agile and responsive technical support at all stages.

• Transparent certification process and compliance with deadlines.

• Proven service quality, with NPS satisfaction metric of 72 points.

Cost and time optimization

• Integrated audits that minimize the number of visits and costs.

• Simplified processes that reduce impacts on operation.

• Strategic and efficient allocation of auditors.

Industry leadership

• Pioneering company with over 30 years of experience in food safety, organic certification, and sustainability.

• Complete certification ecosystem, from field to table.

• Advanced technology for compliance monitoring.