An Argentine group that ensures certain quality standards for lemon exports has received an important boost for its reputation after passing an audit for ISO 9001-2008 certification.

The Chamber of Citrus Exporters, which owns the quality seal All Lemon, said the audit was carried out by SGS International and now only a a few formalities remained before final certification would be given.

The announcement coincides with forecasts that shipments will fall by almost half this year, but the group is confident next season will be 'more normal'.

"Exports in 2014 will fall by over 45% in comparison to 2013, mainly as a result of the severe winter frosts in 2013 which hit the groves in Tucumán, followed by an intense drought in spring which lasted until the middle of summer," said All Lemon president
Romain Corneille.

"In total, approximately 145,000 tonnes of lemons will be exported in 2014. We have taken the greatest of care to deliver the best product to all of the markets that we have taken the effort to develop in recent years.

"Through a continued emphasis on quality, ALL LEMON has managed to attract many new customers, especially in emerging and very demanding markets, such as the Middle East and Asia, which, in turn, has stimulated demand for lemons."

The All Lemon quality seal coovers 18 packhouses used by its 16 member companies, with around 50,000 units of lemons carefully checked each week during peak production to ensure only the very best fruit was sent to the most demanding makrets.

"We are proud and happy that the quality of our fruit was very good and consistent throughout the entire season," Corneille said.

The 16 certified companies include: Argenti Lemon, Cauquén, Cecilia Martínez Zuccardi, Citromax, Citrusvil, Expofrut Argentina-Univeg, F.G.F. Trapani, Frutucumán, Juan Sigstad SRL, La Moraleja SA, La Patria SRL, Latin Lemon, Ledesma, Moño Azul, Pablo Padilla and San Miguel.

The owners of the seal have also announced plans for an end consumer-focsued promotional campaign toward the end of the year, with several interactive initiatives on the web and via social media to show how lemons can be used on a daily basis.

"We wish to inform consumers about the great nutritional value of lemons and their enormous health benefits so that consumers know about the many ways that the fruit can be used and incorporated into their daily diet throughout the year," Corneille said.

"We want to help people to improve their quality of life by introducing them to a product that does not incur waste nor negative health implications."

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