Trade in fruits and vegetables continues to rise at a time when the public's awareness of health and environmental issues is significantly elevated. Food safety standards initiatives are changing the the way fruits and vegetables are produced, sold, and approved for import.

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The value of world trade in the fresh fruits and vegetables sector (FFV) has quadrupled in the last two decades, reaching $US 108 billion in 2004. Fruit and vegetable products (both fresh and processed) accounted for 22 percent of total agricultural exports from developing countries. Fruit trade is heavily concentrated in bananas, citrus, grapes and apples. Vegetable trade is more fragmented, with tomatoes making up the largest percentage— about 20 percent. Temperate climates or seasonality limits production in many developed countries, making the supply of exotic and off-season fruits and vegetables essential. For developing countries, this can mean opportunities to reduce poverty, diversify exports and increase rural development and employment.

Along with recent outbreaks of food borne diseases linked to the consumption of fruits and vegetables, increased awareness of the inherent risks associated with the expansion of fruit and vegetable global trade, such as greater health and environmental impacts and threats to workers’ health and safety, has stimulated the establishment of more numerous and stringent public and private standards, mainly in developed countries.

In terms of public sector standards, stringent legislation, such as the European Union’s Plant Protection Directive (91/414/ EEC ) and amendments to Japan’s Food Sanitation Law, are expected to result in lower maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides and reduce the number of substances that can be used in pesticides applied to specific produce exported to these markets. In the case of microbiological hazards, developed markets are continuously imposing stricter requirements in terms of hygiene practices and application of safety management programs to prevent and reduce contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables. A fundamental aspect, in terms of market access, is the plant health restrictions and requirements imposed by some importing markets such as Japan, the U.S and Australia on FFV exports to minimize the risk of spreading pests and diseases via traded products.  The area of origin must be proven to be free of certain pests and diseases or there must be phytosanitary management measures in place (such as crop inspection, treatment, etc.).  Similarly, increasing demands for traceability requirements are also growing in key importing markets for fruits and vegetables.

In terms of processing fruits and vegetables, market demands for the implementation of quality and safety management systems have also increased, together with limits or bans on certain additives or colorants, tolerances on contaminants and specifications on product labeling.

In addition to public sector initiatives, private sector standards are increasingly playing a crucial role. Many supermarket chains have formulated their own standards, either as individual chains or on an industry-wide basis. Some private standards require compliance with a multidimensional set of requirements, including: food safety, occupational health and safety, environmental and social requirements. At the farm level, GlobalGAP is the largest and most well-known retail standard for fresh produce, based on the implementation of good agricultural practices. Other initiatives on this front, and specifically in the US import market, include the SQF 1000 Code standard and private monitoring and verification programs based on the implementation of good practices as found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.

With regard to packing operations, there are various types of standards or protocols used as the basis for certification, depending of the targeting market. For example, the British Retail Consortium Global Standard—Food, promoted by a group of retailers in the United Kingdom; the International Food Standard, promoted by retailers in Germany and France; and in the US, the SQF 2000. These standards are applied to processed food in general and are based on application of the principles of the hazard analysis and critical control point ( HACCP ) system and the hygiene principles established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Fruits and Vegetables topic editor: Morag Webb