Brazil issues first citrus quality certificate for exports to European Union

For the first time, a shipment of Tahiti limes exported from Brazil to the European Union has been accompanied by an official certificate attesting to the product’s quality, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa). The certification, presented on September 9 at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, complies with OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) standards and is expected to speed up the fruit’s arrival on the European market.

Electronic certification streamlines exports
The certificate is issued electronically, ensuring speed and security in the process. According to Hugo Caruso, director of the Department of Inspection of Plant Products (Dipov) at Mapa, the first steps toward implementing certification began in 2018 with training at Ceagesp in São Paulo, followed by the São Paulo Superintendence of Agriculture and Livestock (SFA-SP) in 2022.

Vigiagro officers were trained to inspect, on a sampling basis, whether the citrus fruits meet OECD standards, adding the new quality certification to the already required phytosanitary checks.

Certified Tahiti lime meets international standards
The pioneering shipment was exported by Andrade Sun Farms Agroindustrial, the first company registered as an Authorized Control Service for OECD fruit standards. The effort was supported by the Brazilian Table Citrus Association (ABCM), Vigiagro, and SFA-SP.

The Tahiti limes, grown in Mogi Mirim (SP), Mogi Guaçu (SP), and Paraguaçu (MG), travel by ship for about 24 to 25 days to the Netherlands. Inspection at the destination, which confirms health and quality, can take up to five days.

Renata Imperato, inspector and certifier at Andrade Sun Farms, emphasized the importance of the certificate:

“Even with refrigerated and controlled transport, every hour counts. With the official certificate, inspection time in the European Union should be reduced, speeding up the arrival of fruit at points of sale.”

Fewer samples and greater logistics efficiency
According to Hugo Caruso, certification will reduce inspections from 60% to 5% of the shipment, making customs clearance in the European Union faster. The company exports between 10 and 12 containers per week, each carrying 24 tonnes, monitoring every stage of the harvest carefully.

Lígia Martucci of ABCM highlighted that the association coordinated the laboratory analyses required by the OECD, audited by Mapa, stressing the progress of Brazil’s table citrus sector and the quality of fruit offered both for export and the domestic market.

Certification expansion and impact on the sector
Mapa plans to issue new OECD compliance certificates for other shipments and supply chains, as well as participate in drafting OECD brochures, which serve as quality manuals for exported fruit.

The ceremony presenting the first certificate was attended by Vigiagro and Mapa authorities, including Celso Gabriel Nascimento, Sandra Kunieda, Estanislau Steck, and Fabio Paarmann.

Source: Portal do Agronegócio

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