Food quality and safety in export fresh fruit horticultural products: Implying in the labor process of agribusiness related to sweat citrus fruit in Entre Rios province

Abstract

In the early 1990s the world market increases the demand of fresh fruit horticultural products in order to satisfy customers who require standardised products and "just in time" delivery. Meanwhile a great number of food quality and safety regulations are developed which are also concerned in workers wellfare, prohibition of children work and inverorment protection. This article shows the results of a study about citrus fruit and agribusiness related to citrus fruit in Entre Rios province, the main sweet citrus fruit producer in Argentina . Such study deals with food quality and health features of export sweet citrus fruit which are sent to other counter-seasonal markets. We use qualitative information gathered in the years 2005 and 2006 by means of direct survey to packaging export companies, citrus producers, entreproneurs, harvest workers and packaging workers. We add statistic information in this study, as well.