About a week ago I had the pleasure of paticipating in an on-line chat with Tom Karst, National Editor of The Packer. He asked me a few questions about International Produce Training, what we offer to the produce industry and a few questions about my experience with the USDA, during the bribery scandal in Hunts Point. The entire chat […]
Within the next week you may begin seeing some problems with some Florida tomatoes, if you happen to see any Florida tomatoes at all. The recent nights of below freezing temperatures produced some major issues for the Florida tomato growers. The complete picture of damage will not be known for a few more weeks. Alternaria Rot […]
With the recent reports of freezing temperatures in Florida and in Texas you must be ready to keep your eyes open for citrus arriving with possible freezing injury. It is impossible to detect externally, meaning you must be ready to cut some citrus to find any problems. The first questions many people have are; “What does […]
Probably one of the easiest commodities to learn how to inspect is Strawberries. Although there are a few defects that are commonly found, most are easy to identify. Except one. By far the most common defect found while inspecting strawberries is bruising; and it is easily the most misidentified. Way too many inspectors, whether they are […]
Although you may run into problems with frozen loads any time of year, due to issues with the reefers, this time of year adds the element of nature to compound the transit problems with produce. There are specific products that are more susceptible to freezing than others, and there are a few places you want to concentrate […]
With winter weather in full swing you know it is that time of year to begin seeing Clementines arriving from Spain and Morocco. But when you receive these citrus fruits in their wooden lugs do you understand what U.S. Grade Standard should be applied? There is no U.S. Grade Standard for Clementines, so what would you use as […]
One of the most unique defects is contact spot. Simply put, if a perfectly good lemon has mold or decayed tissue on it’s skin, the lemon is scored as a defect. The USDA inspection instructions state: “Any size area on a lemon that shows evidence of having been in contact with decay or mold is […]
With blueberries arriving from South America I thought it would be a good time to cover some of the more common defects you may find. Yes, it is true that most blueberries are run over a grading line before they are packed. But as you can see from above, the process of grading out all defective blueberries is […]
Many of you have probably cut into an apple and sometimes noticed a watersoaked, glassy appearance. This defect is called watercore. Visible watercore if you can detect the glassy appearance without cutting the apple, or invisible watercore when there is not indication of the defect, unless you cut the apple in half. This defect is found […]
A lot has happened since that infamous day in the Bronx. With the USDA Inspection Program on the brink of collapse, due to the lack of faith and trust from the produce industry, they were able to win back most of the support and stay in business. And “business” is what it is. The USDA […]