60 Latin American fruit containers blocked at Spanish port

Sixty containers of fruit from Latin America, including mangoes and lemons from Brazil, remain blocked at the Port of Algeciras, in Spain, as reported on Monday (28/6) by the terminal’s press office. “The situation is starting to get back to normal. About 300 containers were released in recent weeks without further incidents and the products were sent to European consumers”, says the press release, without informing if any Brazilian cargo was released.

The containers rejected over a week ago are carrying 92 tons of mangoes exported by Agrodan, the largest producer and exporter of the fruit in Brazil. Paulo Dantas, owner of the company, says that the matter is being resolved by ABRAFRUTAS (the Brazilian association of producers and exporters of fruits and their derivatives). The entity has confirmed only that it is dealing with the release of cargo with MAPA (the Brazilian department of agriculture and food supply).

The DataLiner graph below shows a history of Brazilian mango and lemon exports to Spain since January 2020:

Brazilian Mango and Lemon Exports to Spain | Jan 2020 to May 2021 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner  (To request a DataLiner demo click here)

The fruits were rejected for containing additives in the waxes applied to the skin to give durability and shine. Two additives of these waxes, formaldehyde and ethoxylated alcohol, cannot be used in food as per the European Union ordinance.

The destination of the fruits now depends on the importer’s decision: they can be destroyed, sent back to the country of origin, or treated at the port itself to remove the wax. The only cargoes that were released presented supplementary documentation proving they did not contain prohibited substances.

Last week, Spanish authorities were asked for permission for the fruit to be washed at the port by importers to remove the wax. On Monday, the folder said that it has not yet received any response or information on the status of the Brazilian containers.

The Ministry also stated that it has not issued any guidance to the sector to avoid the Port of Algeciras, since the standard is from the European Union and the understanding is that it will be applied in all ports. Producers were told to use only appropriate waxes, without the prohibited additives.

Source: Globo Rural Magazine

To read the full original article, visit the link:

https://revistagloborural.globo.com/Colunas/caminhos-da-safra/noticia/2021/06/porto-espanhol-ainda-retem-60-conteineres-de-frutas-da-america-latina.html

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