Page 11 - Hafen Hamburg Magazin

to fulfil certain marketing norms. From every contain- er BLE authorized inspectors open five to six cartons and check every individual banana to see if their size, thickness and weight meet the norm. If they are un- der 14 cm, they may not be sold in Europe. “We are also interested to see whether the bananas are care- fully packed, fresh and healthy,” adds Papageorgiou.
INTACT AND HEALTHY
Apart from bananas, Inter Weichert also primarily im- ports pineapples. Unlike bananas, pineapples are not
among the climacteric fruits. The specialists check if the pineapples have arrived in the port healthy and intact and what their degree of ripeness is . They have to be harvested ripe, but must have a certain shelf-life. This is because after their long sea voyage to Germany, it will take up to seven days by the time they are distributed from the wholesale level and an- other three to four days until they reach the consum- er. “Visual inspection is not enough with pineapples. We have to cut the fruit open to check its quality,“ he explains. ■
PORT OF TASTE ■
IF THE BANANA MEETS
THE STANDARD IN SIZE, THICKNESS AND WEIGHT, IT MAY BE SOLD IN EUROPE
Port of Hamburg Magazine | June 2020 | 11
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