Pesticide residues are one of the most crucial issues for grapes suppliers. This is especially true for grapes, which are ingested straight. An MRL is the highest level of pesticide residue that is legally permitted in or on food products when pesticides are used. You can find the MRLs for the pesticide residues relevant to grapes in the EU Pesticides database. It is vital to familiarize yourself with the MRLs, and to not exceed these levels. When grapes contain more pesticide residues than allowed, they will be withdrawn from the European market. More and more buyers ask for upfront information about your pesticide spray records. Shipments are checked before they are sent to the retailer. For future business, you must take into account that your responsibility as an exporter will play an important role as retail chains put more pressure on their suppliers.

Note that buyers in several countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, use MRLs which are stricter than the MRLs provided for in European legislation. Lidl, a German discounter, is one of the tightest, limiting single active chemicals to 33% of the EU regulatory limit.

Grapes may contain contaminants. These are substances that are not intentionally added to food, such as heavy metals (cadmium and lead) and perchlorate, which can end up in produce during production, packaging, transport, and holding. The European Union (EU) has set maximum levels for certain contaminants in food laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915:

• Cadmium: 0.05 mg/kg

• Lead: 0.10 mg/kg

• Perchlorate: 0.05 mg/kg

Food safety authorities can withdraw imported products containing pre-cut and packed table grapes from the market or stop them from entering the EU if E. coli is present (Regulation No 2073/2005). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends using good agricultural, hygiene and manufacturing practices to reduce contamination in grapes.

Use the Codex Alimentarius - Code Of Hygienic Practice For Fresh Fruits And Vegetables as a guideline.

Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 requires table grapes to have a phytosanitary certificate before entering the EU. This guarantees that the grapes are:

• properly inspected;

• free from quarantine pests, within the requirements for regulated non-quarantine pests and practically free from other pests;

• in line with the plant health requirements of the EU, laid down in Regulation (EU) 2019/2072.

The exporting country's national plant protection authority issues these phytosanitary certificates. MOA is the national authority issuing the phytosanitary certificate link

Organic table grapes are a niche opportunity, not a basic export requirement. Lebanese exporters should only market grapes as organic if the vineyard, packing, storage and handling process are certified under EU organic rules — Regulation (EU) 2018/848 by an EU-recognised control body.

For every organic shipment to Germany, an electronic Certificate of Inspection — e-COI must be issued in TRACES before the goods are released in the EU. Without the e-COI, the shipment cannot be released as organic.

German organic buyers may also ask for additional private standards such as Naturland, Bioland, Demeter or Bio Suisse, depending on the buyer and sales channel.

At the very least, bunches and berries of fresh table grapes must be:

• Sound; produce must be free from rotting or deterioration likely to make it unfit for consumption;

• Clean; practically free of any visible foreign matter;

• practically free from pests;

• practically free from damage caused by pests;

• free of abnormal external moisture;

• free of any foreign smell and taste;

• able to withstand transport and handling.

In addition, the grape berries must be intact, well-formed and normally developed.

Table grapes must be free from disease or serious deterioration which appreciably affects their appearance, edibility or market value. In particular, table grapes showing the following defects are therefore excluded:

Table grapes must be free of insects or other pests. The presence of pests can detract from the commercial presentation and affect the keeping quality and edibility of the table grapes.

Pigmentation due to sun is not a defect. Berries of white varieties exposed to sunlight turn yellow and may show pigmentation on the skin only. Spots of sun scorch that deteriorate the skin and may affect the flesh are not allowed.

Table grapes must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory maturity and ripeness. In practice, however, the grapes must have reached at least 16° Brix. Fruit with a lower index is accepted if the sugar-acid ratio is at least equal to:

• 20:1 if the Brix level is greater than or equal to 12.5° and smaller than 14° Brix.

• 18:1 if the Brix level is greater than or equal to 14° and smaller than 16° Brix.

The regulation defines 3 classes of table grapes: Extra Class, Class I, and Class II. European buyers mostly require Class I as a minimum.

“Extra” Class

Table grapes in this class must be of superior quality. In shape, development and coloring, the table grapes must be typical of the variety, and have no defects. Berries must be firmly attached, evenly spaced along the stalk and have their bloom virtually intact. Slight traces of missing bloom due to handling are allowed.

Class I

Table grapes in this class must be of good quality. Although the Class I quality requirements are less strict than for “Extra” Class, Class I table grapes must, nevertheless, be carefully selected and presented. Berries must be firm, firmly attached and, as far as possible, have their bloom intact. They may, however, be less evenly spaced along the stalk than in the “Extra” Class. Traces of missing bloom due to handling are allowed. The following slight defects, however, may be allowed provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality, and presentation in the package.

Class II

This class includes table grapes which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above. Table grapes in this class must be of marketable quality, suitably presented and suitable for human consumption.

The berries must be sufficiently firm and sufficiently attached, and where possible, still have their bloom. They may be less evenly spaced along the stalk than in Class I. The following defects are allowed provided the table grapes retain their essential characteristics as regards to the quality.

• defects in shape and coloring ➩ evenly spaced along the stalk.

• slight sun scorch affecting the skin only.

• slight bruising is allowed provided it does not affect the pulp.

• slight skin defects.

Size is determined by the weight of the bunch. The minimum bunch weight is 75g, but it does not apply to packages intended for single servings. There is a tolerance of 10% on bunches not meeting size requirements.

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only bunches of the same origin, variety, quality and degree of ripeness. However, a mixture of table grapes of distinctly different varieties may be packed together in a package, provided they are uniform in quality and, for each variety concerned, in origin. Common packaging options include:

• clamshells or punnets with heat-seal or flow pack in various sizes, such as 10x500 g or 18x250 g in a box;

• bag-in-box between 4.5 kg and 9 kg;

• carry bags with grape bunches between 4.5 kg and 9 kg.

In the case of the “Extra” Class, the table grapes must be packed in a single layer either in sales packages or in bunches arranged in the package.

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only bunches of the same origin, variety, quality and degree of ripeness. In the case of the «Extra» Class, the bunches must be of more or less identical size and coloring and there should be no major variations.

The table grapes must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly. Packages must be of good quality, strength and characteristics to protect the produce during transport and handling.

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. Stickers individually affixed on the produce shall be such that, when removed, neither leaves visible traces of glue, nor lead to skin defects.

Grape packers were already using more and more top-sealed punnets to reduce the plastics of lids (clamshells). Now companies have started to implement new sustainable packaging such as biodegradable and compostable carry bags for grapes, cardboard punnets or paper bags. For organic grapes, sustainable packaging such as cardboard is a real selling point.

To fulfill these obligations, you must document the sources of your product and be able to provide proof of origin for all fruits and vegetables. Proof of origin is also necessary for importers to get beneficiary tariffs that are common for imports from developing countries with a Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). The traceability of products is compulsory and defined by the General Food Law Regulation. Food placed on the EU market must meet the legislation on food labelling.

Export carton marking

Trade packages and cartons of fresh fruit or vegetables must mention the following particulars:

Sample export carton label — Table grapes from Lebanon to Germany

Retail pack labels

If table grapes are packed for retail sale in Germany, the consumer-facing label must comply with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers and with buyer labelling requirements.

Mandatory consumer information should normally be provided in German, unless otherwise agreed with the buyer and permitted under applicable rules. Lebanese exporters should confirm the final retail label with the German buyer before printing, including product name, variety, origin, net weight, lot code, barcode, responsible food business operator, certification claims and any post-harvest treatment information.

Good handling is essential for Lebanese table grapes exported to Germany. Grapes are sensitive to bruising, berry shatter, dehydration, mould and temperature abuse. Many quality problems appear only after arrival, so exporters should control every step from harvest to loading.

After harvest, grapes should be kept in the shade, handled gently, moved quickly to the packhouse, pre-cooled as soon as possible and stored under a reliable cold chain. Damaged, mouldy, immature or poorly coloured bunches should be removed during grading.

Where exporters do not have their own facilities, they should work with reliable packhouses or cold-chain service providers that can support grading, packing, pre-cooling, cold storage, temperature monitoring and export handling.

European buyers often have additional requirements. These include specific grape varieties, food safety certification, and compliance with social and environmental standards. Your choice of grape variety depends on several criteria:

• the presence of seeds

• shape and color

• skin thickness

• maturity period

• resistance against diseases and pests

• transportability

• shelf life

You can cover a large season with early, mid-season and late varieties. The rest is a combination of finding the right, sweet taste and cost-competitive grape cultivar. There can be regional differences in grape preference. For example, northern Europe prefers mature seedless white grapes with thin skin and a sweet taste. Seedless grape consumption was developed later in southern Europe, and berry size is sometimes more important in countries such as Italy.

Common certifications for table grapes include GlobalG.A.P. for good agricultural practices and BRCGS, IFS or similar HACCP-based food safety management systems for packing and processing facilities. Management systems recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) are most recommended.

Complying with sustainable and social standards has become common for all fresh fruit and vegetables. Besides GlobalG.A.P. to ensure good agricultural practices, a social certificate such as Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) is highly recommended to get your product up to retail standards.

European buyers increasingly demand social and environmental compliance. This often means that you need to adhere to the buyer’s code of conduct or a third-party code of conduct. You can also opt for third-party certification schemes. Examples include:

• GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP): a GLOBALG.A.P add-on for the evaluation of worker’s well-being at the farm level.

• Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX): a global initiative to make global supply chains more transparent. SEDEX has also developed a social auditing scheme – SMETA – to help companies assess the working conditions in and environmental performance of their business and supply chains.