Quality Potatoes

Presented by

André ErasmusQuality Controller

Johannesburg2015

Contents and discussion

• Purpose• Pack houses• Packaging• Questions

PURPOSE OF INSPECTION

• Prokon has been assigned by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to do inspections of potatoes on all markets, DC’s and shops in South Africa

• To inspect the potatoes to confirm that it complies with the regulations (Regulation R1031 of 12 November 2010 of the Agricultural Products Act 119 of 1990)

• We currently do inspections on all the markets in South Africa, except for Witbank.

• To ensure that when packed potatoes leave the farm, it is correctly graded, packed and marked.

Packhouses

• It is of utmost importance that your packhouse employees are trained

• Inspect your packhouse equipment for sharp of protruding edges that may damage your potatoes

• Once the potatoes have been washed in a 1% chlorine solution, drip dry the potatoes before packing

• Sort the potatoes according to the sizes as follows:– Baby - 5 – 50gr– Small - 50 – 100gr– Small medium - 90 – 120gr– Medium - 90 – 170gr– Large medium - 150 – 250gr– Large - 250gr +

Packhouses

• Potatoes should be handled with great care • Hygiene• Use accurate scales to check the weights of

each bag • Stack bags neatly on pallets • Put a date code on each pallet for reference

on the market• Using colour plate books

Packaging

• Printed bags must be marked with the following:

• Producers name and address• Size• Class• Cultivar• Product of South Africa• The word “Potatoes”• Netto mass

• If any of the above are missing, the consignment will be rejected and a directive issued to the market agent and the producer to rectify before being inspected again.

Questions

• Any questions regarding the quality expected of

bagged potatoes delivered to the markets?

Prokon

Your partner in Quality.