Setting the World's Standard

To ensure that its fruits are welcomed around the world, Chile's growers and packers have created a set of standards which promote Good Agricultural Practices (G.A.P.) throughout the fresh fruit industry. The Chilean fruit industry's "GAP" program has been modeled after American and European agricultural practices and then enhanced and improved upon to establish a new world standard. Today Chile has the most comprehensive agricultural practices program in the world including the use of the most modern production and handling practices, strict control of pesticide use, the monitoring of residue levels, state-of-the-art packaging and storage facilities and a constant emphasis on worker hygiene and sanitation.

These measures are not only in compliance with world standard, but exceed the standards and current practices of both the USA and European domestic fresh fruit industries.

Guide to Chilean Food Safety Practices

INTRODUCTION
Chile ships 200 varieties of fresh fruit to more than 70 countries around the world, using the most progressive and sound practices in growing, packing, handling and transporting. This guide describes current practices as well as programs being developed to maintain and improve the quality and safety of Chilean fresh fruit.

CHILE'S FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE
The Chilean fruit industry, in cooperation with the Foundation for Agricultural Development, an industry-funded research group, has gathered all current food safety regulations to formulate an approach to address the following:

Development of guidelines for good agricultural practices (GAPs) at the field level and hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) plans for packing, storage and transportation facilities.

Training seminars that address the implementation and monitoring of GAP and HACCP plans.

Development of an official handbook of GAPs, including Chile's newly revised health and safety requirements and environmental guidelines (Fall 1998) adopted by Codex Alimentarius, as well as international food safety regulations.

FRUIT PRECLEARANCE INSPECTION PROGRAM
Funded entirely by the Chilean Exporters Association (CEA) at a cost of approximately $2.5 million a year, this program is the result of a cooperative international public-private partnership among the CEA; the USDA; and its Chilean counterpart, the Chilean Phytosanitary Authority (SAG). USDA personnel stationed in Chile (1980) inspect the fruit, making sure it meets U.S. phytosanitary standards before it is exported.

PESTICIDE AGENDA
Because Chilean fresh fruit must comply with the pesticide regulations of each country to which it ships, the CEA developed the Pesticide Agenda in 1989, which contains pesticide regulations of destination countries and the pesticide standards established by the Codex Alimentarius. Updated at least quarterly, the agenda includes pesticide registration requirements, residue tolerances and pre- and post harvest intervals for all exported fruit varieties and for every major fruit-importing country in the world. Subscribers include government agencies from the U.S., Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Japan and Holland, as well as producers in those and other countries.

CUSTOMS DUTIES/ PHYTOSANITARY AGENDA
The Customs Duties and Phytosanitary Agenda, like the Pesticide Agenda, is a single volume containing complete, easy-to-understand descriptions of the customs and phytosanitary requirements of each country to which Chile ships produce. It is updated regularly.

QUALITY AND PACKAGING STANDARDS
In June 1997, the CEA published a Product and Packaging Manual for growers and exporters in an effort to unify all products and packaging standards. The voluntary quality and packaging guidelines, based on the official norms of the USDA, the European Union and Chilean exporters, will be phased in over the next three seasons. Sections include Product Parameters, Procedure and Evaluation and Packaging Guidelines.

LABELING AND TRACEBACK OPTIONS
All pallets of Chilean fresh fruit shipped have barcodes attached that identify:
- Country of origin
- Species/variety
- Packing date
- Name of producer
- Province and city
All boxes of Chilean fresh fruit shipped include an easy to read label in English inscribed either directly on the box or on a sticker/label, identifying the same elements as above.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR INDUSTRY RESEARCH
To remain an industry leader, Chile invests heavily in technology and research. Current research with the University of California at Davis includes development of a nonchemical and nondestructive application that uses pulsed ultraviolet light to kill microbes and insects. The industry is also investing in new packaging trays for stone fruits, quarantine treatment for clementine exports and studies to eliminate the use of agrichemicals in produce, along with other important research.

The U.S. General Accounting Office's report (August 24, 1994) refers to Chile's pesticide regulations as follows:

The fresh fruit industry of Chile has developed one of the first official guides promoting industry-wide Good Agricultural Practices. All levels of the Chilean fruit industry are undergoing training to incorporate formal agricultural practices and procedures for each species of fruit produced. Two hundred out of seven hundred total companies are already enrolled in the program. The entire industry will be trained by 2003. Many exporters and growers already have HAACP and ISO 9000 standards in place. The addition of the Chilean G.A.P. program will raise awareness and improve the penetration of this more comprehensive program across the country.