Quality is never compromised at CostaExchange. We see one of our most important roles as providing industry leadership in the areas of quality assurance and quality control. Our initiatives stem from the real people who work day to day for or with CostaExchange. We work with a genuine understanding of the challenges facing produce growers and marketers and where opportunities might lie for improvement and ingenuity.

Post harvest review

Our number one priority is the provision of the best possible quality produce to our customers and consumers. Post harvest review is a particular area of passion and commitment for CostaExchange as it is where we can make significant improvements on quality processes, ensuring optimum storage, ripening, supply and shelf life for all products.

Our key goals are to increase the quality and shelf life of produce post harvest. This means research into each individual product that we grow or market, considering the peculiarities and post harvest trajectory of every fruit or vegetable.

The level of time/temperature analysis we are conducting is unique to CostaExchange in terms of the detail our technical managers are going into and the findings we are being presented with. This initiative adds enormous value to third party growers with whom we work, as we pass on the findings and recommendations of our research.

Quality control system – 'Greenlight QC'

Australian growers are hard working, dedicated professionals who strive to grow and provide the best possible produce. Once produce leaves their premises, they traditionally have had little control over what happens along the supply chain. This can lead to compromised quality.

CostaExchange recognised that providing a unique quality control system, designed specifically for farmers, would benefit outcomes for all parties, from growers to consumers.

We adapted the Greenlight QC initiative to heighten and record visibility and quality of stock coming in to our distribution centres. It includes recording all details such as:

• Size, colour, taste and other quality attributes
• Temperature on arrival
• Weight
• Shelf life