Citrus inspection
Citrus inspection is a process of quality control of goods at different stages of logistic chain, which minimizes major trade risks related to the likelihood of cargo delivered or received not according to agreed specification, not being supplied in agreed quantity or incomplete set of accompanying documents agreed between parties for citrus export/import operations is issued and received. Citrus fruits include tangerines, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, citrons, pompelmuses, oranges, kinkans, limes, etc.
CISS GROUP provides citrus inspection services to large agribusinesses and international trading companies at every stage of production and transportation logistic chain, i.e. in intermediate storage warehouses, elevators, factories or ports around the world.
The peculiarity of the citrus inspection is that this cargo is exported mainly for fresh consumption and it is a perishable product. Therefore, it is important to observe the temperature regime, as well as to preserve the presentation of the product with long delivery times. In this case, the most rational is the use of refrigerated containers, with the help of which it is possible to ensure an optimal temperature and reduce the likelihood of damage to the fruit.
In general, citrus inspection includes:
- Tally control
- Weight control
- Sampling
- Calibration
- Classification by color.
- Detection of defects on the skin surface using wavelengths that are outside the visible spectrum
- Laboratory testing of pesticide residues: When growing citrus fruits, pesticides are widely used to protect plants during the ripening period and after harvest. Many chemicals are used to fight diseases and insects. Therefore, a survey is always requested to assess the level of pesticide residues in citrus fruits.
Highly professional inspectors and laboratory assistants of CISS GROUP carry out citrus inspection at any point of the supply chain.
The main stages of checking citrus fruits:
Incoming/outgoing citrus check.
It is carried out during the delivery of citrus fruits to fruit and vegetable bases, to cold storage rooms of warehouses or to refrigerated containers. The CISS GROUP inspector will visually assess the condition of the premises for their suitability of cargo storage; check the cargo itself so that it is whole, dry, not mixed with other cargo, not damaged, not wet, frozen or wet, without pests, impurities, mold or foreign odors.
Acceptance of containers for cleanliness before loading citrus fruits.
It is a visual inspection of refrigerated containers for cleanliness and suitability for transportation of citrus fruits. The inspector carefully inspects their internal surfaces, checks the integrity and functionality of coolers, temperature sensors, locks, hinges and other fasteners on container doors, rubber seals of container doors.
Visual control of the loading process and sampling of citrus fruits.
During the loading of citruses, the inspector controls the packaging, labeling of fruits, the number of fruits in each box, fixes the gross/net weight during weighing control. Significant differences in outdoor temperatures (sometimes reaching 30-40 °C) at the places of departure and destination - since the bulk of bananas are transported in the autumn-winter period - is very common for banana trade. Therefore, it is important to carefully carry out a visual assessment of the quality of the cargo, the color of the fruits, and control the temperature regime. At the end of loading, the inspector seals the loaded containers. He enters all the data into reports.
Laboratory analyses of the quality of citrus fruits.
We check the quality of citrus fruits exclusively in accredited laboratories in accordance with the requirements of existing international standards. Among the standard indicators of citrus quality are: appearance, color, presence of moldy and damaged fruits, smell, taste, sugar content.
In addition to basic analyses, laboratory tests are carried out for the content of toxic elements in citrus fruits, mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, pesticides, radionuclides.
At the request of the client, during the loading process, we also carry out an organoleptic analysis for each lot.
Photo and video report.
The inspector records each stage of the inspection with photos and videos. All such data contain the date and time of recorded stage of inspection. At the end of the citrus inspection, CISS GROUP provides a detailed photo report of all stages of control and inspection.
Certificates.
Based on the results of the сitrus inspection the final certificate or reports are issued. The client can check the authenticity of the documents using a unique QR code, which is the "key" to the CISS GROUP website, where pdf versions of certificates are stored. Our certificates are protected with a digital cryptographic signature, which also guarantees their reliability and security.
Digitally signed certificates are often required by banks to verify the integrity of trading process when financing trade operations in the form of a letter of credit.
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