SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Oct 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Inspectors from the Canarian Institute of Agrifood Quality (ICCA), an autonomous body attached to the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, have carried out various inspections in the Canary Islands in order to verify compliance with current provisions on fresh fruits and vegetables on sales platforms and that have culminated with 440 kilos of immobilized avocados.
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 and it was decided to intervene in a precautionary manner.
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 in a note 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.”
In his opinion, “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 ‘Hass’ at the end of October and the beginning of November,” he explained. Perez.
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.
