Commodity Standardization Programs
Introduction
In Fresno County we have programs for select commodities to ensure that the produce offered for sale to retail customers in California and around the world are of the highest standards of quality. We have staff out in the field dedicated to testing for sugars to ensure your fruit is as sweet as can be and checking for established signs of peak maturity and issuing red tags/off-sale orders on produce not meeting standards for maturity or for having too many defects. This ensures that the producers of these commodities are harvesting only the best California produce.
Head Lettuce
Every year in the spring and fall, our hard-working staff heads out into the iceberg lettuce fields dotting western Fresno County to ensure that each head of iceberg lettuce has a well-formed head, is free of visual defects, and is packed with care according to established standards of head size, proper dimension containers, and properly identified as to commodity and who produced it. This ensures quality for the consumer and allows for an effective trace-back system where any head of iceberg lettuce can be traced from the point of sale back to the field it was grown in.
Melons - Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Mixed
Starting in July and running through October/November each year, our staff is out in the blistering westside Fresno County sun verifying that sugars in harvested melons meet both State and industry standards ensuring that everyone’s favorite summertime treat is sweet and delicious once it reaches your table. We also eliminate any harvested melons with defects above strict allowances and check that each box of melons is packed with care and properly identified by producer. This not only ensures a quality product but allows for effective traceability from your table back to the field it was grown in.
Juice and Table Grapes
Starting in mid-July and continuing until the first frost every year, our staff is out surveying the vast acres of both juice and table grapes during the harvest season. Our staff verifies that the sugar content in juice and table grapes is above California and industry standards to ensure only the best and sweetest grapes make it to your table and into various fruit-based beverages and award-winning California wines. Our hard-working staff also checks to make sure every grape harvested is properly packed and identified by producer. This ensures traceability from your table back to the exact location they were grown.
Citrus
Starting in November and continuing until citrus maturity is officially declared by Fresno County, our staff is out in citrus packing sheds all over Fresno County verifying through testing that harvested citrus meets California and industry standards on soluble sugar content. This ensures that the citrus sold to Californians and consumers all over the world is of the highest quality and sweetness.