Export of fresh fruits from India and their palletization

requirements
-By Nandini Sethi

Fresh fruits export from India:

India ranks second in fruits and vegetable production in the world. India accounts for about
10% of the world’s fruit production. Being an agrarian economy, there’s a huge potential in
export of fresh fruits and vegetables from India. During 2019-20, India exported fruits and
vegetables worth Rs. 9,182.88 crores/ 1,277.38 USD Millions which comprised of fruits
worth Rs. 4,832.81 crores/ 668.75 USD Millions. [1] Bangladesh is one of the biggest trading
partner of India for fresh fruits. Apart from this, India is gaining huge market share in the
UK, Netherlands, Qatar, France and Germany.

Packaging requirements for export of fresh fruits:

Natural products normally have a limited shelf life, and anyone who deals with natural
products tries to extend their shelf life as long as possible. Fruits and vegetables are natural
products with special characteristics. The special nature of tropical fruits and vegetables is
that after reaching their peak in taste and appearance within a relatively short period, they
break down and lose all their attractiveness to a consumer. The goal is thus to offer the
consumer tropical fruit in its optimum condition, and all efforts must be made to achieve this.
[3]
Fruits go through the following processes before being exported:
PRE−HARVESTING
↓
HARVESTING
↓
FUNGICIDE TREATMENT
↓
SELECTION ∧GRADING
↓
PACKAGING
↓
COLD STORAGE
↓
TRANSPORTATION – SEA∨ AIR
↓
STORAGE/ RIPENING
↓
DISTRIBUTION
↓
RETAILING
During the journey, the package encounters various types of distribution hazards like
mechanical, climatic, biological contamination and other hazards. Packaging materials and
the system followed plays an important role in preventing these losses at the farm and during
the distribution chain. Packaging reduces wastes, adds value and makes the product
qualitatively and quantitatively acceptable. In case of horticultural produce, packaging is
required not only to enhance the aesthetic value, but also to keep the produce in good
condition for long periods. With the multifarious functions, the prospective of packaging has
widened significantly. Today, packaging is considered as one of the most important
operations.
In case of horticultural produce, it is required to transport the produce to the site of the
storage, and ensure processing or marketing in a sound condition as quickly as possible. In
most cases, the fresh produce gets bruised during transportation. Physical injury initiates
vigorous bio-chemical reactions in the damaged cells, and as a result, the bruised product
begins to deteriorate rapidly. Thus, the transport pack must ensure minimal damage to the
packaged commodity during transportation.[6]

The basic requirements for packaging, common to almost all countries where India exports
fresh fruits are:
Containment:
The container must enclose the produce in convenient units for handling and distribution. The
produce should fit well inside the container, with little wasted space. Small produce items
that are spherical or oblong (such as apples) may be packaged efficiently utilizing a variety of
different package shapes and sizes. However, many produce items such as asparagus, berries,
or soft fruit may require containers specially designed for that item. Bulk packages moved by
forklifts may weigh as much as 1,200 pounds. [2]
Protection:
(i) The package must protect the produce from mechanical damage and poor
environmental conditions during handling and distribution. Produce containers
must be sturdy enough to resist damage during packaging, storage, and export.
Because almost all produce packages are palletized, produce containers should
have sufficient stacking strength to resist crushing in a low temperature, high
humidity environment.
(ii) Produce destined for export markets requires containers to be extra sturdy. Air-
freighted produce may require special packing, package sizes, and insulation.
Damage resulting from poor environmental control during handling and transit is
one of the leading causes of rejected produce and low buyer and consumer
satisfaction. Each fresh fruit and vegetable commodity has its own requirements
for temperature, humidity, and environmental gas composition. Produce
containers should be produce friendly - helping to maintain an optimum
environment for the longest shelf life. This may include special materials to slow
the loss of water from the produce, insulation materials to keep out the heat, or
engineered plastic liners that maintain a favourable mix of oxygen and carbon
dioxide.[2]
(iii) Cold storage and continual air exchange are absolutely necessary for tropical
fruits and vegetables to maintain their freshness as long as possible. The fruit
begins to change immediately after being harvested. It is thus essential to treat it
correctly after picking. The fruit intended for export must be harvested at the right
state of ripeness and all post-harvest procedures, including cleaning, sorting,
grading and packing both manually and by machine, must be done very carefully.
The fruit for export should be cooled immediately after harvesting and the cold
storage facilities should only be used for the processing mentioned in the
foregoing. Once the packing has been completed, the ready cartons, boxes or bins
must be brought back to the cold-storage warehouses.
The "correct" stage of ripeness of the fruit when harvested varies depending upon
its subsequent use, for example whether it is to be sold on the local market,
exported by air over a long distance, or transported by truck, rail or ship.
Whatever the end purpose may be, the fruit should never be stored without careful
consideration of the fresh air flow and correct constant temperature. Storage
without ventilation is therefore unacceptable. Moreover, for a modern and
effective fruit industry, it is necessary to transport fruit into cold storage
immediately after harvesting. When the fruit is placed in the cold storage at
optimum temperature, it has to be shipped under the same condition in a reefer
space or container, and the dealer in the country of destination must keep it in cold
storage. The temperature should not be changed during this procedure, and storage
without refrigeration and ventilation is a sure way to destroy the merchandise.
There are also risks in handling the fruit and vegetables under low temperature.
Risk number one is the danger of an excessively low temperature. Lists are
available for showing the lowest admissible temperature for each sort of fruit or
vegetable. [3]
For example, the permissible limit for some of the fruits is:

Fruit Temperature Relative atmospheric

humidity

Pineapple (green) 11-12°C/52-53°F 85-90%

Avocado 10-12°C/50-53°F 85-90%

Banana 13°C/55°F 90%

Guava 8-10°C/47-50°F 90%

Litchi 0-2°C/32-35°F 90-95%

Mango 10-14°C/50-57°F 90%

 Papaya 10°C/50°F 90%

Passion fruit 7-10°C/45-50°F 85%

Identification:
The package must identify and provide useful information about the produce. It is customary
(and may be required in some cases) to provide information such as the produce name, brand,
size, grade, variety, net weight, count, grower, shipper, and country of origin. It is also
becoming more common to find included on the package nutritional information, recipes, and
other useful information directed specifically at the consumer. In consumer marketing,
package appearance has also become an important part of point of sale displays.
Universal Product Codes (UPC or bar codes) may be included as part of the labelling. The
UPCs used in the food industry consist of a ten-digit machine readable code. The first five
digits are a number assigned to the specific producer (packer or shipper) and the second five
digits represent specific product information such as type of produce and size of package.
Although no price information is included, UPCs are used more and more by packers,
shippers, buyers, and retailers as a fast and convenient method of inventory control and cost
accounting. Efficient use of UPCs requires coordination with everyone who handles the
package. [2]

Recyclability/Biodegradability:
A growing number of export markets have waste disposal restrictions for packaging
materials. In the near future, all produce packaging will be recyclable or biodegradable, or
both.[4]

Different Types of Secondary Packaging for export of fruits:

Secondary Packaging: This type of packaging is used outside of primary packaging to group
a certain number of products to create a stock-keeping unit, commonly referred to as a SKU.
It facilitates the handling of smaller products by collating them into a single pack. This type
of packaging also provides supplementary protection to help maintain the integrity of the
primary packaging. Secondary packaging is frequently made up of multiple components
(box, padding, separators, reinforcements, bags, paper, etc.). It may also be customized to
make a product easily identifiable in the warehouse setting.[5]
Different types of packaging:
1) Corrugated Fibreboard Boxes:
 CFB (Corrugated fibreboard) boxes are the most commonly used shipping containers
where cartons, glass, cans and pouches are the unit containers.[4]

2) Plastic Corrugated Boxes:

The most commonly used material for plastic corrugated box is polypropylene and
HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene). Its advantage over CFB is low weight to
strength ratio and its reusability. CFB box has an edge over plastic fibreboard boxes
when cushioning properties are taken into consideration.[4]

3) Plastic Crates:
Plastic crates, usually made up of HDPE or polypropylene by injection moulding have
been replacing wooden and wire crates. These crates must have good resistant
properties to ultraviolet degradation and shock damages.[4]

4) Wooden Boxes:
Includes natural wood and industrially manufactured wood-based sheet materials.
Manufactured wood based sheet materials include ply wood, hard board and particle
board. Plywood is usually made from birch. t is rigid and strong, though perhaps
somewhat less resistant to splintering than poplar, but is smoother and flatter to be
suitable for direct printing.[4]

5) Pallets:
Pallets have been standardised keeping in view of the standard package sizes and sea
containers. The sizes of the pallets are of strategic importance since they correspond
directly to the sizes of various types of containers, ship cargo compartments, trucks,
fork trucks, etc. Most commonly used pallet sizes are 120×80 cm (Euro pallet) and
120×100 cm (Sea pallet). Sea pallets are most commonly used outside Europe.[4]

6) Ethylene Scavengers:
Ethylene (C2H4) acts as a plant hormone that has different physiological effects on
fresh fruit and vegetables. It accelerates respiration, leading to maturity and
senescence, and also softening and ripening of many kinds of fruits.[4]

7) CO2 Scavengers:
CO2 is formed in some foods due to deterioration and respiration reactions. The
CO2 produced has to be removed from the package to avoid food deterioration and/or
package destruction. CO2 absorbers might therefore be useful.[4]

8) Oxygen Scavenging:
 Oxygen is such a broadly effective agent of deterioration in foods that a substantial
industry has been established to provide a wide range of alternative means of oxygen
removal from package headspace to reduce chemical deterioration.[4]

9) Humidity Regulators:
This approach allows the food packer to reduce the surface concentration of water in a
food by reducing the in-pack relative humidity. This can be done by placing one or
more humectants between two layers of a plastic film which is highly permeable to
water vapour. A different approach to humidity buffering is being developed for use
in the distribution of horticultural produce which is normally distributed in fibreboard
cartons, usually with a polyethylene liner or made from very expensive waxed
fibreboard without a liner. A recent development has been the water-barrier coating of
the inside of fibreboard cartons to allow moist produce to be placed directly into the
carton.[4]

10) Antimicrobial Packaging:

Substantial recent research has been directed at determining how the surfaces of
plastics can be made not only sterile but also capable of having an antimicrobial effect
on the packaged food or beverage. This type of effect has already been achieved in
outer layers of laminates by use of modified printing presses. To control undesirable
microorganisms on foods, antimicrobial substances can be incorporated in or coated
onto food packaging materials. The principle action of antimicrobial films is based on
the release of antimicrobial entities, some of which could pose a safety risk to
consumers if the release is not tightly controlled by some mechanisms within the
packaging material.[4]

STANDARD PALLET SIZES

Pallet sizes still vary considerably between different countries although much progress has
been made in terms of standardization and reusability. This was crucial as increased global
trade necessitated the need for standard pallet dimensions.

ISO PALLET SIZES

Of the many different pallet sizes available, the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) has approved six pallet dimension which are now widely used as
standard pallet size around the globe.

ISO PALLETS

Dimensions mm Dimensions inches Region Most Used In

(WxL) (WxL)
 1016 x 1219 40 x 48 North America

1000 x 1200 39.37 x 47.24 Europe, Asia, similar to 40" x 48"

1165 x 1165 45.9 x 45.9 Australia

1067 x 1067 42.00 x 42.00 North America, Europe, Asia

1100 x 1100 43.30 x 43.30 Asia

800 x 1200 31.50 x 47.24 Europe; fits many doorways

NORTH AMERICAN PALLET SIZES

There are many pallet dimensions used for handling goods within North America. Sizes vary
depending on specific needs, industries and materials.

The most popular dimension for both wood and plastic pallets is the 40″x48″ footprint
which is also one of the six specified ISO Pallet sizes. It is also the size of the GMA
(Grocery Manufacturer’s Association) sanctioned pallet.

EUROPEAN PALLET SIZES

In Europe many different pallets have emerged over the years as each country developed its
own material handling needs.

In recent times, standardization has occurred to a certain extent and we now have a widely
used standard European pallet known as the EUR Pallet, Europallet or EPAL Pallet. Its
dimensions are 1200mm×800mm (31.50”×47.24”) and is one of the six approved ISO Pallet
sizes.

Note: The wood packaging directive was introduced on 1st March 2005 so that the EU would
be in compliance with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM15)
developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) that provides guidelines
for regulating wood packaging materials in international trade. This directive is a
phytosanitary measure intended to prevent plant pests and diseases from being carried from
one country to another in wood packaging materials such as packing cases, crates, drums,
pallets, load boards and pallet collars. As of March 1st 2005 all wood packaging materials
of greater than 6mm in thickness are required to either be heat treated at 56°C for 30
minutes or fumigated with methyl bromide. The directive does not apply to processed
woods manufactured using combinations of glue, heat and pressure such as plywood and
MDF, and wood packaging materials made prior to 28th February 2005 are also exempt.

ASIAN PALLET SIZES

The two most popular pallet sizes used in Asia are the square 1100mm x 1100mm (43.30″
× 43.30″) pallet and the 1200mm x 1000mm (39.37″ × 47.24″) pallet. Both are included in
the approved ISO Pallet list. The 1200mm x 1000mm (39.37″ × 47.24″) pallet is better
suited for export from Asia to Europe and the USA as these dimensions integrate nicely
into European and US systems.

AUSTRALIAN PALLET SIZES

The most common pallet size in Australia is 1165mm × 1165mm (45.87″ × 45.87″). It is
also on the list of approved ISO Pallets.

GRAPES

Grape is one of the important fruit covering an area of 123 thousand hectares occupying 2.01
% of the total area. The country is also a major exporter of fresh Grapes to the world. The
country has exported 1,93,690.55 MT of Grapes to the world for the worth of Rs.2,176.88
crores/ 298.05 USD Millions during the year 2019-20 .

Areas of Cultivation :

Major grape-growing states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana,Andhra Pradesh, Tamil

Nadu, and the north-western region covering Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Maharashta ranks first in terms of production
accountingfor more than 81.22 % of total production and highest productivity in the
country.

Major Export Destinations (2019-20): Netherland, Russia, UK, Bangladesh, Germany.

Value of Exports in the year 2019-20:
[Value in Rs lakhs, quantity in MT(Megatonne)]

S.No. Country Quantity Value

1 Netherland 56,265.55 78,672.33

2 Russia 23,736.47 26,558.79

3 UK 14,484.40 20,544.30

4 Bangladesh 32,742.75 13,784.62

5 Germany 8,718.95 13,669.04

6 United Arab Emirates 12,128.27 11,235.27

7 Saudi Arab 8,709.26 7,729.59

8 Thailand 3,569.99 5,885.86

9 Hong Kong 2,381.19 4,410.32

10 Malaysia 2,673.13 3,832.78

Varieties:

More than 20 varieties are under cultivation in India. However, only a dozen are
commercially grown. They can be grouped under following 4 categories based on colour
and seeds.

Coloured Bangalore Blue, Gulabi (Muscat)

 seeded

Coloured
Beauty Seedless and Sharad Seedless
seedless

White
Anab-e-Shahi, Dilkhush (clone of Anab-e-Shahi)
seeded

White Perlette, Pusa Seedless, Thompson Seedless, and its

seedless clones Tas-A-Ganesh, Sonaka and Manik Chaman

Currently, Thompson Seedless is the ruling grape variety occupying 55% of the area with
its clones. Bangalore Blue occupies approximately 15% of the total area while Anab-e-
Shahi and Dilkhush (15%), Sharad Seedless (5%), Perlette (5%) and Gulabi and Bhokri
together (5%).

EUROPEAN MARKET

Packaging used for dried grapes must protect the organoleptic and quality characteristics of
the product, protect the product from bacteriological and other contamination, including
contamination from the packaging material itself, and not pass on any odour, taste, colour or
other foreign characteristics to the product.
Dried grapes are usually packaged in carton boxes with a plastic liner inside. Common bulk
packing sizes range from 5 kg to 15 kg. When packaged in corrugated or millboard cartons,
the product should be transported on Euro pallets (80 cm x 120 cm) and further transported
in containers. 20 ft containers contain 1,600 cartons of 12,5 kg each or 2,000 cartons of 10
kg each.

The duration of storage is usually 12 months after the date of production, in the relative
humidity of 60%–65%, at a temperature between 4ºC and 20°C.

Another packaging requirement is that the content must correspond to the indicated quantity
in weight or volume on the label.

AMERICAN MARKET

The standard pallet size used in the United States of America is 48 x 40 inches (1219 mm x
1016 mm). Shipments are done in 40 FT Reefer Containers. (The 40ft High Cube Reefer
Container is equipped with a cooling unit to control the temperature in the container)

● 5KG – 120 boxes per pallet X 20 pallets - 2400 boxes/FCL (Full container load)
● 4.5KG – 180 boxes per pallet X 20 pallets - 3600 boxes/FCL
● 8.2KG – 102 boxes per pallet X 20 pallets - 2040 boxes/FCL
 ● Loose – 120 boxes per pallet X 20 pallets - 2400 boxes/FCL

ASIAN MARKET

The two most popular pallet sizes used in Asia are the square 1100mm x 1100mm (43.30″ ×
43.30″) pallet and the 1200mm x 1000mm (39.37″ × 47.24″) pallet.

APPLES

Apple Fruit is exported to over 75 countries . In the year 2020-2021 (Apr-Nov), India has
exported Apple Fruit worth of 2.3 USD million. The total volume of export in 2020-2021
(Apr-Nov) was around 2293890.

Areas of cultivation:
In India, Apple is primarily cultivated in Jammu & Kashmir; Himachal Pradesh; hills of Uttar
Pradesh and Uttaranchal. It is also cultivated to a small extent in Arunachal Pradesh;
Nagaland; Punjab and Sikkim.

Major Export Destinations:

The top 5 trading partners of india are United Arab Emirates (0.37 USD Million), United
Kingdom (0.32 USD Million), Nepal (0.26 USD Million), Thailand (0.24 USD Million),
Viet Nam (0.22 USD Million) . The total export value of Apple Fruit in these countries is
1.41 USD million. These top 5 countries account for over 61.3% of the total Apple Fruit
export from India.

Value of exports:

Country Value (USD Million) Share (%)

United Arab Emirates 0.37 16.09

United Kingdom 0.32 13.91

 Nepal 0.26 11.3

Thailand 0.24 10.43

Viet Nam 0.22 9.57

Malaysia 0.16 6.96

Saudi Arabia 0.16 6.96

Qatar 0.15 6.52

Australia 0.11 4.78

Germany 0.06 2.61

Variety:
Mainly the following varieties of Apples are exported from India:
1) Green Apple (Granny Smith)
2) Pink Lady Apple
3) Fuji Apple
4) Gala Apple
5) Honey Crisp Apple
6) Envy Apple
7) Red Apple
European Market:

Apples must be packed in a manner that ensures proper protection of the product. In
particular, retail packages weighing more 3 kg should be sufficiently stiff in order to
ensure appropriate protection of the product.

Materials used inside the package must be new, clean and of such quality that allows the
avoidance of any, external or internal, damage to the product. The use of materials such as
paper or stamps with commercial information is admissible, provided that the print or label
have been made of non-toxic ink or glue.

Packages must be free of any foreign substances.

Stickers attached to each product should not leave visible traces of glue or lead to damage
the skin upon removal.

Nepal:

The packaging and labelling requirements for import certification for Nepal are as mentioned
below:

• Weights, shape and size of the retail pack.

• Type of the packaging material.

• Certifying agency for the packaging material to be of the food grade and quality.

• Whether or not the copy of quality certificate of packaging material attached with the
application.

• The labelling detail of the product:

o Languages used for labelling

o Net weight o Composition

o Date of manufacturing

o Expiry date
o Other important information

Saudi Arabia:

The following regulations and standards are implemented in Saudi Arabia regarding food
packaging and container requirements:

The standard GSO 839:1997 (entitled Food Packages-part 1-General Requirements) is

concerned with the general requirements of food packaging. The main requirements are listed
below:

● All packaging materials used in fabricating, forming, or treating packages shall be of

food-grade for contact with foods and in compliance with relevant Saudi standards.
● They shall be clean and in a condition that does not allow any contamination of the
contained material.
● They shall maintain the properties of the packaged material and protect it from
gaining undesirable odours, flavours and tastes.
● They shall offer protection to the product against contamination with microorganisms,
insect, rodents, and dirt in the case of products that requires it.
● They shall be impermeable to moisture in the case of food products that require it.
● They shall offer the necessary protection against environmental conditions and
mechanical hazards such as impacts, vibration, static stresses, and they shall remain
intact during handling.
● They shall not affect the container because of the migration of some of their
constituents that may react or be mixed with the food materials.
● It shall not be in a pharmaceutical shape.

Labelling requirements:

Prepackaged food product labels should be in Arabic or include an Arabic language

translation of the label.

Labels must contain: product name, packer’s name, country of origin or manufacture, listing
of ingredients, instructions for the end use of the product (where applicable), and the shelf-
life of the product
Malaysia:

Bulk container ( any wagon, crate, silo, tanker, any box, carton and other similar containers)
in which more than one duly labelled package and its contents are not intended to be retained
when the packages or the contents are sold by way of retail. Bulk containers are not subject
to the form and manner of labelling and date marking meant for retail containers.

Packages and containers used for storage of food shall be tested. . The leachate shall not
contain antimony, arsenic, cadmium or lead above the following limits, expressed in ppm:

Sb : 0.2

As : 0.2

Cd : 0.2

Pb ; 2.0

MANGOES

In the fiscal year 2020, India was the world's leading mango producing nation. Mango
(Mangifera indica Linn) is the most important fruit of India and is known as the “King of
fruits”. The volume of fresh mangoes exported to the United Arab Emirates from India
accounted for over 16 thousand metric tons. Nepal followed with about 11 thousand metric
tons in the same year.

Areas of cultivation:
The main mango producing states in India are Andhra Pradesh (25%), Uttar Pradesh (21%),
Karnataka (9.8%), Bihar (9.7%), Gujarat (6.1%) and Maharashtra (5.09%). The fruit is
cultivated in the largest area i.e. 2,021 thousand ha and the production is around 12.5 million
tons, contributing 40.1% of the total world production of mango.

Major Export Destinations:

The major export destinations for Indian Mangoes are the United Arab Emirates, USA, Nepal
and United Kingdom.
Value of Exports:

Value in Rs. Lacs

Quantity in MT

2019-20

Sr
Country Qty Value
No.

1 United Arab Emts 16,567.22 14,286.80

2 UK 4,356.26 6,761.57
 3 USA 1,095.42 3,056.49

4 Oman 3,636.81 2,756.97

5 Qatar 2,744.95 2,740.20

6 Nepal 11,975.04 2,451.14

7 Kuwait 1,170.85 1,605.08

8 Saudi Arab 1,517.39 1,299.53

9 Bangladesh Pr 3,038.11 903.51

10 Singapore 687.55 735.86

Variety:

Varietal characteristics of commercially grown mangoes

Variety Characteristics
Alphonso This variety is medium in size, ovate
oblique in shape and orange-yellow in
colour. The pulp is yellow to orange in
colour. It is soft, firm and fibreless. It is a
mid-season variety.
Banganpalli The flesh is firm to meaty, fibreless. Fruit
is large in size and obliquely oval in
shape. The colour of the fruit is golden
yellow. Good keeping quality and a mid-
season variety.
Chausa Fruit is large in size, ovate to oval oblique
in shape and light yellow
in colour. It is a late variety.
Dashehri Fruit size is medium, the shape is oblong
to oblong-oblique and the fruit colour is
yellow. The pulp is firm and fibreless and
has a mid-season variety.
Langra Fruit is of medium size, ovate shape and
lettuce green in colour. The lemon-yellow
flesh is juicy and flavourful. It is scarcely
fibrous, a midseason variety.
 Totapuri Fruit size is medium to large, shape is
oblong with necked base and colour is
golden yellow. The flesh is cadmium
yellow and fibreless, a midseason variety.
Kesar Fruits are medium-sized, the flesh is sweet
and fibreless. The Colour is apricot yellow
with red blush, an early-season variety.

General Packaging Details for Exporting Mangoes: (As per Indian Rules and
Regulations)

● Each individual fruit of mango will be enclosed in a clean, white, soft, expandable
and netted type polystyrene sleeve to prevent bruising before packing in a box.
● The mangoes must be packed in insect-proof boxes. If ventilated boxes are used, all
the ventilator openings of the box should be covered with an insect-proof screen
and all the sides of the box should be sealed with adhesive tape to prevent any entry
of pests.
● The materials used inside the package must be new, clean, and of a quality such as
to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the produce.
● The use of materials, particularly paper or stamps bearing trade specifications is
allowed, provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic ink or
glue.
● Mangoes shall be packed in each container in compliance with the Recommended
International Code of Practice for Packaging and Transport of Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables (CAC/RCP 44-1995, Amd. 1-2004).
● The package boxes dimensions of 390X260X115 mm (for Banganpalli),
320X230X90 mm in general.

Saudi Arabia:

Apart from the already mentioned requirements, fresh fruits imported in Saudi Arabia have to
undergo mandatory certification which includes Consignment Inspection, Supervision of
Container Loading, Sampling and Container Sealing inspection.

Labelling Requirements:
● Marking and Labelling information shall be in the Arabic language. Other Languages
may be used in addition to the Arabic Marking and Labeling provided that the
 information written in these languages is equivalent to the information written in
Arabic text.
● Marking and Labelling must comply with SFDA.FD/GSO 9 requirements that stress
both consumer information and respect of the Saudi Customs and Islamic values
(offensive imagery, contents shall be avoided).

Nepal:
For very few products (not including mangoes), specific packaging requirements are given as
part of the product standards in the respective place. Otherwise, there are no detailed
packaging specifications published.

European Market:
Fresh mangoes are classified according to Size Codes A, B, C and D. Size is determined by
the weight of the fruit or by count.

Table 2: Size codes for mangoes

Size Weight in Maximum permissible difference between fruit within the

code grams package in grams

A 100-350 75

B 351-550 100

C 551-800 125

D >800 150
The common mango varieties are mostly traded in packing size 7 or 8, meaning 7 to 8
mangoes per 4 kg box, which is the preferred size in the Netherlands, the United
Kingdom and France. In Germany, size 6/7 is also common, since large mangoes are
popular. In Scandinavia, mostly smaller sizes are sold individually. Spain is more flexible
with sizes and can handle both large and small sizes.

Packaging requirements vary among customers and market segments. They must at least be
packed in new, clean and quality packaging to prevent damage and protect the product
properly. Common packaging for mangoes includes 4 kg cardboard boxes.

United States of America:

● Each individual fruit of mango will be enclosed in a clean, white, soft, expandable
and netted type polystyrene sleeve to prevent bruising before packing in a box.
● The mangoes must be packed in insect-proof boxes. If ventilated boxes are used, all
the ventilator openings of the box should be covered with an insect-proof screen of a
minimum of 30 meshes per linear inch and all the sides of the box should be sealed
with adhesive tape to prevent any entry of pests.
● Only packing material of food grade should be used for packing mangoes at the
packhouse facility and the package boxes having dimensions of 370 X 275 X 90 mm
should be used for packing export mangoes, as approved by USDA-APHIS. (The
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is an agency of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based in Riverdale, Maryland responsible
for protecting animal health, animal welfare, and plant health.)
● Each package must be either preprinted or affixed with a label as specified (refer to
Addendum-5 of SOPs for packing house facility), which is duly approved by the
USDA APHIS.
● The label should be are appropriately marked/stamped on the left-half side indicating
Production Unit Code Number (PUC), Packinghouse Code Number (PHC), Date of
Packing, and Lot Number.

BANANAS

India is the world's leading producer of bananas with a share of around 25 per cent in total
output. India's banana export is expected to continue its growth this year in terms of volume
as well as value. A total of 1.91 lakh tonnes worth Rs 619 crore has been exported so far,
according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. India exported 1.95 lakh metric tonne
banana valued at Rs 660 crore in 2019-20.
Areas of cultivation:
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and
Madhya Pradesh contribute more than 70 per cent of the country's banana production.

Major Export Destinations:

In 2020, India’s leading banana importers were Iran, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi
Arabia.

Value of Exports:
In the year 2020-2021 (Apr-Nov), India has exported bananas worth 57.57 USD million. The
total volume of export in 2020-2021 (Apr-Nov) was around 197708849.

Below are the top countries which imported the highest dollar value worth of Banana from
India in 2020-2021 (Apr-Nov)

Country Value (USD Million) Share (%)

Iran 19.82 34.43

United Arab Emirates 11.73 20.38

Oman 6.23 10.82

Saudi Arabia 3.7 6.43

Iraq 2.84 4.93

Qatar 2.59 4.5

Nepal 2.34 4.06

 USA 1.48 2.57

Kuwait 1.21 2.1

Afghanistan 1.09 1.89

There are about 52 top exporting ports in India that trade Banana from India, Cochin Air
Cargo exports the majority of Banana shipments from India with the share of 39.0%,
followed by Trivendrun Air Cargo with 30.0%.

Moving to top importing ports for Banana from India, Dubai port solely imports 6037
shipments of bananas from India and holds the largest share of 15.0%.

Variety:
1) The Cavendish (accounts for 65 per cent of total India’s production)
2) Basrai
3) Robusta
4) Lal Velchi
5) Safed Velchi
6) Rajeli Nendran
7) Grand Naine
8) Poovan

General Packaging Requirements for Export of Bananas: (Acc to Indian rules)

For packaging bananas, telescopic boxes of 5 ply strength and of the following dimensions
need to be used- Telescopic cardboard fibre boxes and other materials-

■ Top = 48.25cm X 31.75cm X 20.25cm -5 ply

■ Bottom= 47.50 X 31.25cm X 19.75cm -5ply
■ Gap plate= 3 ply
■ Foam sheet or foam pad= 20mm thick, 38cm X 25cm size with 10 mm holes
■ The weight of the final packed box should be approximately 13.0 Kg
Qatar:

The Customs Authorities of Qatar have announced that all import shipments into Qatar (air,
LCL and FCL shipments)must be palletized.

Oman:

Oman has adopted the standards GSO 9/2007 and GSO 150/2007 for labeling and shelf life.
The GCC Standardization Organization (“GSO”) is a standards organization for the member
states of the GCC and Yemen.

Labels of food products must mandatorily include the following information in Arabic on the
original label or primary packaging:

• product and brand name;

• country of origin;
• ingredients, in descending order of proportion;
• additives (if any);
• origin of animal fat (e.g., beef fat);
• net content in metric units (volume in case of liquids);
• production and expiry dates;
• the name and address of the manufacturer, producer, distributor, importer, exporter or
vendor; and
• special storage, transportation and preparation instructions (if any).

Moreover, products shipped in bulk must conform to GSO labelling requirements and should
be accompanied by small, easy-to-handle samples for possible laboratory verification, which
must contain a label that meets all labelling requirements.

Bilingual labels, with one of the languages mandatorily as Arabic (e.g., Arabic/English), are
required.

Saudi Arabia:

The government of Saudi Arabia has placed a requirement to use pallets for import shipments
bound for Jeddah and Dammam.
European Market:

The Directive imposes a limit of 100 ppm by weight for the sum of concentration levels of
lead (7439-43-9)2, cadmium (7440-43-9), mercury (7439-97-6) and hexavalent chromium
(18540-29-9) present in packaging. Plastic crates and pallets as well as glass packaging made
from recycled materials are allowed to exceed this limit.

PINEAPPLE

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an important fruit of India. India is ranked sixth with a share
of about 8 % of the world production of pineapples. The total area under pineapple
cultivation in India is 84000 hectares with a production of about 1341000 t.

Areas of cultivation:
The total area under pineapple production in India is 88.7 thousand ha and the production is
1415.4 thousand tons. The maximum area under pineapple cultivation is in Assam (14
thousand ha), where productivity is of medium scale. Total production is higher in West
Bengal, where productivity is also high. Productivity is much lower in Karnataka, Kerala and
Meghalaya states.

Major Export Destinations:

The major export destinations for Indian pineapples are Nepal, Maldives, Qatar and United
Arab Emirates.

Value of Exports:

Value in Rs. Lacs

Qty In MT

Country Quantity Rs.Lakhs

Nepal 2,379.91 356.50

Maldives 486.22 406.29

Qatar 628.10 420.14

United Arab Emirates 690.19 543.06

Iran 45.49 13.68

 Saudi Arabia 31.89 19.07

Afghanistan 48.00 9.07

Variety:
1) Giant Kew (The most popular commercial pineapple variety in India)
2) Queen
3) Mauritius
4) Charlotte
5) Rohtschild
6) Jaldhup
7) Lakhat
8) Desi
9) Kew

Minimum Labelling Requirements:

o Name and address of the exporter, packer and or dispatcher

o Name of the product if the content is not visible

o Name of variety

o Origin of produce

o Class or Grade

o Size expressed in minimum and maximum weight

o Number of fruits

General Packaging Requirements:

Packing for export markets is a one-piece box made of telescopic fiber capable of holding 9
kg (20 lb) or 18 kg (40 lb). In order to get better fruit strength during transport and prevent
damages, pineapples with 1/4 ripening (yellow color at the base of the fruit covering 25% of
the surface) are selected.
Transport temperature and relative humidity should be 7 to 13°C (45 - 55°F) and 85 to 90%,
respectively. Chilling injury may occur below 7°C (45°F).

Nepal:

Nepali law does not require special labeling or marking. For customs purposes, the
packaging and labels of a shipment should clearly identify the country of origin and
destination and include a commercial invoice with a list of items in the package, a customs
declaration form (CDF), and a certificate of origin.

Maldives:

Labelling requirements include: the name of the food; a list of ingredients; processing aids
and carry-over of food additives; net contents and drained weight; the country of origin (if its
omission would mislead or deceive the consumer); lot identification; date marking; and
storage instructions.

European Market:

Fresh pineapples are classified according to Size Codes A–H, with average weights
(including the crown) ranging from 2750 grams (Size A) to 800 grams (Size H). The
minimum weight for a pineapple is 700 grams, except for some small-size varieties, which
may weigh less.
Wholesale packaging is done in carton boxes or crates which can vary in size. Most fresh
pineapples are packed in boxes containing 5–10 pineapples, with approximately 12 kilo net
weight.
Labelling on consumer packaging must comply with the rules and regulations applying to the
European market. Labels must not contain any toxic ink or glue.

ORANGES:

Citrus industry in India is the third largest fruit industry of the country after mango and
banana.Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) is most common among citrus fruits grown in
India. It occupies nearly 40% of the total area under citrus cultivation in India. India ranks
ninth among top orange producing countries contributing 3% to the world’s total orange
production. Only 1.72% of the country’s production is exported.
Areas of cultivation:
In India, citrus is grown in 0.62 million ha. area with a total production of 4.79 million
tonnes. The area under orange cultivation in India increased by 67% from 1.19 lakh ha. in
1991-92 to 1.99 lakh ha. in 2001-02 and the production increased by 57% (i.e. from 10.58 to
16.60 lakh tonnes). Oranges are mostly grown in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal
Pradesh.

Major Export Destinations:

The major countries which import Indian oranges are Bangladesh, Nepal, United Arab
Emirates, Egypt and Qatar.

Value of Exports: (2019-20)

Value in Rs. Lacs

Qty In MT

Country Quantity Rs.Lakhs

Bangladesh 76,274.97 21,288.45

Nepal 16,026.97 3,379.00

United Arab Emirates 882.82 404.32

Oman 151.42 64.14

Qatar 172.62 80.01

Saudi Arab 16.06 5.13

Kuwait 212.53 77.06

Variety:

1) Nagpur Santra
2) Coorg Santra
3) Dancy
 4) Darjeeling Mandarin
5) Kinnow Mandarin

Kuwait:

Label regulations are outlined in Kuwait Standard (KS) 42/1973, which is identical to GS
9/1984. Under KS 42, food labels must include the following information, in Arabic, on the
original label or on the primary packaging:

- Product and brand name

- Country of origin

- Ingredients, in descending order of proportion

- Additives, if any

- Origin of animal fat ,if applicable

- Net content in metric units (volume in case of liquids)

- Production and expiry dates (English digits only are also permitted, as is Arabic/English)

- Manufacturer's and/or packer's name and address

- Special storage, transportation and preparation instructions, if any.

Packaging:

Packing should be strong and should guard against extreme heat in summer, humidity in
winter and possible storage in the open.

Oman:

Food labels must include product and brand names, production and expiration dates, country
of origin, name and address of the manufacturer, net weight in metric units, and a list of
ingredients in descending order of importance. Labels must be in Arabic only or
Arabic/English, although authorities approve some English-only labels for exceptional
marketing purposes.

CONCLUSION:

1) Grapes:
Year 2019-20;
Quantity of export: 1,93,690.55 MT
Value of export: Rs.2,176.88 crores/ 298.05 USD Millions

Major Importer
Country: Netherlands
Quantity of grapes on one pallet: 1500 kg
Total pallets: 3751,03,66,667 (3751 crore) approx

2) Apples:
Year 2019-20;
Quantity of export: 21,182.09 MT
Value of export: 75.30 crores

Major Importer
Country: Nepal
Quantity of apples on one pallet: 1500 kg
Total pallets: 820,07,73,333

3) Mangoes:
Year 2019-20;
Quantity of export: 49,658.67 MT
Value of export: 40,021.34 lakhs

Major Importer
Country: United Arab Emirates
Quantity of mangoes on one pallet: 1500 kg
Total pallets: 1104,48,13,333

4) Bananas:
Year 2019-20;
Quantity of export: 1.95 lakh metric tonne
Value of export: Rs 660 crore

Major Importer
Country: United Arab Emirates
Quantity of bananas on one pallet: 1500 kg
Total pallets: 760,65,60,000
5) Pineapples:
Year 2019-20;
Quantity of export: 6,682.97 MT
Value of export: 2,710.28 lakhs

Major Importer
Country: Nepal
Quantity of pineapples on one pallet: 1500 kg
Total pallets: 158,66,06,666

6) Oranges:
Year 2019-20;
Quantity of export: 93,749.42
Value of export: 25,307.94

Major Importer
Country: Bangladesh
Quantity of oranges on one pallet: 1500 kg
Total pallets: 5084,99,80,000
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