Importing fresh fruit products from Thailand to your local supermarket may seem like a relatively straightforward process. However, the need to closely control the temperature and humidity of fresh produce complicates the importation process.
We’ll cover the steps involved in ensuring your favorite fruit products from Thailand are delivered to your local supermarket at the height of freshness and ripeness. The Thai mango, beloved around the world for its sweet and juicy flesh, will serve as our example.
Harvesting
Mangoes are usually harvested by hand between the months of March to July. The fruit is carefully plucked from the tree, often with the stem attached to prevent black spots from forming around the stem end. Several rounds of harvesting may be necessary as mangoes on the same tree can mature at different times.
Sorting and Grading
Sorting and grading the fruit is essential as mango wholesalers look for boxes of uniform-sized mangoes. These mangoes don’t require customers to search for hours to find the perfect one, meaning less fruit is discarded and wasted.
Cleaning
Cleaning the mangoes typically entails a hot-water treatment (HWT) that minimizes the presence of anthracnose, a disease that causes black sunken spots in mangoes. It also helps manage stem-end rot.
Packaging
Proper packaging is crucial in the importation of all fresh fruits. It protects the fruit from physical damage during shipping and handling operations and from environmental factors during shipment. It can also protect against extreme temperature variations and keep the fruit at a necessary humidity level.
Packaging can also extend the shelf life of fruit. It slows down the ripening process and reduces moisture loss, helping fruit reach the consumer in the best condition possible.
Cooling and Storage
Cold-chain management maintains the temperature and humidity levels throughout the fruit product’s journey from Thailand to your local grocery store. It has several facets, including monitoring and tracking, logistics, data analysis, and stakeholder collaboration, to help ensure the products reach their destination in optimal condition.
Storage is also an important and closely monitored part of cold-chain management. It must be as temporary as possible and in a temperature and humidity-controlled facility. Storage is also taken into account in the transportation options for the products.
Transportation
Refrigerated rail cars or “reefers” have been a part of much of the world’s cold-chain distribution system. These cars can be individually adjusted to the proper temperature and humidity for the variety of produce they’re carrying. However, a significant portion of the world’s cold-chain management now relies on temperature and humidity-controlled shipping containers that can be transported by rail, land or sea.
Airfreight also utilizes refrigerated cargo holds. Once the plane lands, the fruit is typically offloaded into temperature-controlled facilities at the airport before being shipped to local supermarkets and grocery outlets.
Customs and Importation Checks
Today, imported farm produce is increasingly being regulated under the GLOBALG.A.P. standard. This worldwide organization has certification standards that ensure the quality and safety of farmed products and recommends more sustainable farming methods for the world’s producers.
Fresh Point is a fruit and vegetable wholesaler in Thailand that is certified under the GLOBALG.A.P. standard and supports its mission to improve the world’s farming and food supply.
Delivery and Display
Through efficient cold-chain management, the delivery and display of fresh and ripe fruit, like mangoes from Thailand, increases the world’s appetite for these delicious and exotic tropical fruits and makes Thai fruits more available worldwide.
Fresh Point has been in the business of importing fresh fruits from Thailand for over 29 years. We have satisfied customers all over the world who appreciate our commitment to the GLOBALG.A.P. standard and our dedication to employing the latest innovations in effective cold-chain management. We urge grocers worldwide to partner with Fresh Point and offer a variety of Thai fruit products that deliver the fresh taste of Thailand to their customers.
