Market agents Fresh Fruit Traders awarded SQF 2000 certification

22/5/96

Primary Industry Minister Monty House today presented the first market agent with Safe Quality Food (SQF) 2000 certification.

Fresh Fruit Traders, located at Canning Vale Markets, was presented with SQF 2000 certification after proving to an independent third party it had in place the system requirements to achieve customer satisfaction and product safety.

The Minister said Fresh Fruit Traders was a founding market agency member of the Australian Quality Assured Table Grape Association which was formed with the development of the table grape industry's Redglobe quality system - the first to the quality code SQF 2000.

Mr House said the SQF 2000 code was developed by Agriculture Western Australia's AGWEST Trade and Development unit to provide a practical, cost-effective quality management tool for agricultural producers and related small businesses which would be internationally recognised

"The management system developed by the team at Fresh Fruit Traders for quality assured Redglobe table grapes is the first of its kind in the distribution chain to receive the quality code SQF 2000," Mr House said.

"This accreditation will complement and supplement the 35 grape growers who have gained certification this year.

"I congratulate Fresh Fruit Traders on their commitment to provide an internationally recognised, quality assured Western Australian product and hope many other agents will follow their lead."

Mr House said the WA Table Grape Industry was the first industry group to take up the challenge of developing a market-focussed quality management system from producer to consumer in February last year.

"The code has now gained national and international recognition with other States planning to implement SQF 2000 and quality management experts in the USA and Holland seeking information," Mr House said.

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell (09) 481 2044