SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Oct 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Inspectors from the Canarian Institute of Agrifood Quality (ICCA) have immobilized 440 kilos of avocado in a precautionary way on the island of Tenerife, within the framework of the controls they have carried out in the Canary Islands in order to verify compliance with the current provisions on fruit and vegetables fresh on sales platforms.
Until now, documentation, quality and labeling controls have been carried out on avocados, and in which some of the platform operators have not been able to justify all the documentation required for this purpose. Thus, in the first establishment inspected in Tenerife, a traceability control of 242 kilos of avocados of the Fuerte variety was carried out, in which it was decided to intervene on a precautionary basis.
In the second establishment inspected on this same island, 198 kilos of avocados were immobilized, since the owner subject to the inspection could not document the traceability of that quantity of fruit either.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and president of the ICCA, Alicia Vanoostende, has indicated that “these inspections ensure the right of consumers to know the traceability of what they buy and good commercial practices.”
For his part, the director of the ICCA, Basilio Pérez, pointed out the importance of “conferring greater protection to the agricultural producer against the theft of their products.” “We must ensure that avocado varieties are placed on the market in their corresponding campaign, such as the Fuerte variety at the end of September or the Hass variety at the end of October and the beginning of November,” explained Pérez.
From the ICCA it is recalled that malpractice in the commercialization of avocado varieties is negatively reflected on the consumer, since it must be collected at the optimal harvest time, guaranteeing the minimum content of oil and dry matter.
The ICCA, like the Association of Organizations of Producers of Avocados of the Canary Islands (Asguacan), insists that marketing companies have to work for the good of this product in all its facets, monitoring the indicators to ensure quality. to the final consumer.
