AsureQuality helps ease inspection process for apple industry exporting to America

Media release 27th June

AsureQuality, the country’s leading provider of biosecurity and food safety assurance services has once again teamed up with the apple industry in assisting to facilitate the pre-clearance of New Zealand export pip-fruit destined for the US market. 

The apple packing season in the Nelson-Marlborough region has been a good one both with the amount of fruit being harvested and the quality of fruit being packed for export. A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector is in the region now inspecting the last of the apples destined for the American market.

AsureQuality has worked in with MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, Pipfruit New Zealand and the apple industry in general to help ease the inspection process, allowing smoother access through the US borders enabling “just in time” deliveries to be met for supermarket programmes and other markets across the United States.

AsureQuality Nelson –Marlborough Field Manager Jeff Fahey explains how the pre clearance programme works.

“American inspectors selected from different states across the United States fly to New Zealand and inspect pallets of fruit destined for supermarkets and produce outlets across the USA.

“AsureQuality facilitates the process with the American inspectors in New Zealand and in Nelson provides a dedicated inspection team to help clear fruit in a timely manner.

By doing this on the ground in New Zealand it smoothes the transition of fruit, eliminates potential delays of failed inspections off shore and allows cool chain requirements to remain in place again minimising the loss of integrity of product,” said Mr Fahey.

ENZA, the largest New Zealand exporters of apples to America believes the commitment and focus of the scheme allows the apple industry to continue exporting to the USA – a market that demands “just in time” delivery.

ENZA spokesman David Binns says that the thoroughness of the inspections carried out by the AsureQuality staff provides the USDA Inspector with confidence in the findings and in turn makes life easier in shipping the large volume of fruit that they have to move.

“The ease of managing the logistics, organising the inspectors and meeting the “just in time” delivery requirements is a real bonus for us, but the programme gets the real thumbs up for us because of the significant cost savings. Without the pre-clearance process apple exporters would struggle to meet the delivery requirements set by US retailers.”

American inspector Mark Stull is in Nelson inspecting the last of these seasons’ apples as part of the pre clearance programme. The inspection season usually runs from March to June each year.

There are approximately seven registered apple exporters that use the pre clearance programme in Nelson. The other big player in the Nelson region is Fruit Logistics Nelson who will also be inspected today.

ENZA is one of the most recognised fruit brands in the world and has core values of innovation, reliability and quality. ENZA exports a large range of apple and pear varieties, including Braeburn, Royal Gala, Fuji, Jazz and Taylors Gold.

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For further information please contact AsureQuality’s Lisa Williams 09 573 8074 or
021 839729
For interview with ENZA David Binns please contact him on 03 547 8818
For further ENZA information please contact Campbell Naish on 09 573 8718