Fruits have always been in our diet for a long time. The world of fruits is a wide variety of flavours, colours, and textures. Each region has its own unique fruits with its own unique flavours. Yet, many of us often find ourselves limited to the fruits that are readily available in our local markets. But, what if there’s a way to savour your favourite fruits from around the world without leaving your doorstep and vice versa? That is trading fruit internationally. Learn the essential steps and strategies to successfully export your fruits to international markets.
As one of the parts of our diet, fruits have always been in high demand. Especially packaged fresh fruit. People are interested in packaged fresh fruits because they offer convenience and simplicity. They don’t need to be washed, peeled, or cut, making it easy for people to just eat them straight out of the container. They can be enjoyed as snacks, added to fruit salads, used in smoothies, or even incorporated in savoury dishes. The versatility makes people opt for packaged fresh fruit. In 2023, the global packaged fresh fruits is valued at US$ 13 billion and is predicted to shoot up to US$ 22.64 billion in 2033.
How to Export Fruits to Other Countries
With this high demand, the opportunity to export fruits to other countries or even other continents is high too. In order to do that, you must be aware of steps on how to export fruits to other countries. You have to be aware of the fruit trade regulations, how fruit is transported from your home country to another, and the quality of the fruit.
Keep in mind that fruit trade regulations are different from one country to another. For example in Europe, they have regulations for limited use of pesticide and insecticide for exporting fresh fruit. The exporter should also avoid contaminants when exporting their fruit products. For fresh fruit and vegetables, your main concerns will be the contamination of lead, cadmium, and nitrate.
In Europe, there are rules about how good fresh fruits and vegetables should be. They are divided into three classes: “Extra Class,” Class I, and Class II. These rules cover things like how they should look, when they should be picked, their size, and how much imperfections are allowed. Most European markets prefer the best quality, which is “Extra Class” or Class I. But in some places, like Eastern Europe or for making things like juices, Class II is okay. These rules help keep fruits and veggies good for consumers and fair for growers.
In the EU, when food, especially fresh fruits and veggies, is sold, it has to be labeled and packed a certain way. The packaging should tell you who packed or sent the food, the name and type of the fruit or veggie if you can’t see it, where it came from, how good it is (like “Class I” or the size), a number to trace it back if needed, sometimes, an official mark instead of the company’s info (optional), if anything was done to the food after picking, like adding stuff to it, if it’s organic, it should say who checked and certified it (if it applies). These rules help you know what you’re buying and where it’s from when you shop for food in Europe.
When you want to export fruits to other countries, you have to consider what logistics you need to use. Cold chain logistics for fruit transportation is the best option. There’s a reason behind that, though. Fruits and veggies release gas called ethylene while they’re ripening. The process is called climacteric respiration. The temperature around them affects this process: higher temps make them breathe faster, and colder temps slow it down. Fruits and veggies that breathe a lot have a shorter shelf life, meaning they go bad faster. Some fruits and veggies, like tomatoes, avocados, peaches, apples, and bananas, keep ripening even after you pick them – we call them “climacteric.” Others, like pineapples, oranges, grapes, and cherries, stop ripening once they’re picked – we call them “non-climacteric.” One interesting thing is that if you put a climacteric fruit or veggie next to others, they can speed up the ripening of the others. When you’re packing and transporting them, you have to be careful about this. That’s why cold chain logistics is the best option for transporting fruits. Because it makes them last longer.
Then, at what temperature should you store fruits? Temperature between 8°C and 15°C is the standard temperature range for storing fruit and vegetables. If you want your fruits to be ripened during the delivery, storing them in a temperature between 18°C and 25°C is ideal. Temperature below 0°C is not good for fruits because it’ll make fruits freeze. Temperature between 0°C and 8°C is also not good for fruits as it bears risk of disease due to cold. Temperature above 28°C is also not good for storing fruits because of the risk of deterioration and damage to them.
Based on the explanation above, when you want to transport your fruit for export, you should group fruits with the same temperature sensitivity together. They require a temperature between 1°C and 4°C. Separate fruits that emit ethylene from those that are sensitive to it to avoid them ripening faster. And last, group fruits that are sensitive to dehydration together. Make sure the container has a humidifier.
Export Fruits to Other Countries with Hi-Fella
Ready to explore a world of delicious possibilities? Find your trusted fruit suppliers and buyers today at Hi-Fella. With only downloading Hi-Fella apps on Play Store or App Store and making an account, you can bring global fruit flavours to everyone’s doorstep. Come and join now!
