Pre-Shipment Inspection of Turkish Fresh Produce: A Buyer's Checklist

Fresh produce inspection works best when the rules are agreed before the season, not argued on the packhouse floor. This checklist reflects what we see go wrong most often.

Before the season

• Specification by product: variety, class, size bands, colour stage, Brix or firmness minimums
• Reference standard: UNECE, EU marketing standard or retailer specification
• Residue requirements: legal MRLs only, or a retailer limit below MRL
• Packaging and labelling, including grower codes and post-harvest treatment declarations
• Inspection frequency and who pays for re-inspection

At the packhouse

• Pulp temperature of the fruit to be loaded
• Random sampling across pallets, not only the front row
• Assessment of minimum requirements first, then class defects and sizing
• Brix, firmness or cut tests where internal quality matters
• Weight checks of individual packages
• Photographs of typical and worst-case defects

At loading

• Reefer pre-cooled and set to the agreed temperature and ventilation
• Floor clean and dry, drains open, no odour
• Loading pattern leaving air flow channels
• Pallet count matched to the packing list and inspected lots
• Seal number recorded and photographed

Product notes for Turkey

Cherries need fast cooling and careful stem assessment. Lemons and peppers need residue verification against current EU border control priorities. Pomegranates need cut tests because heart rot is invisible from outside. Grapes need checks for shatter and SO2 pad damage. Our product pages give more detail for each.

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