With plantations all over the world, our avocados travel a long way before they reach you. Here’s a glimpse into all the stages that our avocados go through – from the moment they are cultivated to their transport to our customers.
Our avocados are cultivated all over the world, including in South Africa, Peru, Chile, and Colombia. But we also import from countries such as Spain, Mexico, Kenya, Tanzania, and Morocco. On average, their journey to the port of Rotterdam takes about three weeks, during which they are cooled to a temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius. This way, their lifecycle is extended.
The most important thing about a delicious avocado is its oil content: the higher the oil content, the tastier the avocado. Before our avocados are shipped, they are tested extensively by farmers and plantations. Only when the avocados have reached the right oil content, they are shipped.
On arrival at the port, the avocados are transported to our warehouse, where they are individually checked by our own quality inspectors. They carefully examine each pallet and take photographs, which are then compiled in a report. This way, only the very best avocados move on to the ripening stage.
The avocados are ripened based on the wishes of our customers. Upon arrival at the ripening facility, the avocados are checked again for internal and external flaws. The results of this check determine the cell in which they will be ripened. We adjust the temperature, humidity, and wind to imitate the climate of the country of origin. It takes 2 to 5 days for the avocados to ripen, after which they are cooled down to 4 degrees Celsius in another cell. Afterwards, they are sorted by hand, checked again, and packaged. We inspect the avocados again for internal flaws, after which they are ready for the market.
Based on the customer’s wishes, we hand-sort the avocados according to the desired firmness and colour. At this stage, we carry out yet another quality check. That way we know exactly whether the avocados meet our customer’s specific wishes. After sorting, the avocados go back to the cold store. From our warehouses in De Lier, Amsterdam and IJsselmuiden, the avocados are transported or collected by our customers.
