The National Agricultural Health Service of Peru (Senasa), confirmed the suspension of five agro-export companies for failing to comply with the procedure for ‘Sanitary and Phytosanitary Certification of Plant Products intended for Export', putting at risk the health of people who consume these foods and Peruvian agricultural exports in the face of possible market closures.
According to the information collected and analyzed by SENASA, four avocado exporting companies (Torino Produce SAC, Grupo Sociben SAC, Exporica SAC, and Global Fruit Produce SAC) and one asparagus exporting company (Sunset EIRL) made improper use of cultivation location codes.
The cultivation location codes guarantee the traceability of the products, allowing Senasa to take action when the importing country reports a pest, non-compliance with import conditions, health warnings, or other binding actions.
The five companies mentioned have been sanctioned under Law 1387, consisting of the suspension of export activities.
"If it is discovered that the exporter and/or packer has premeditatedly altered the documents supporting traceability, Senasa will not issue the phytosanitary certificate for the inspected shipment and any future shipments that the exporter may present," according to the above procedure.
Legislative Decree 1387 also authorizes Senasa to take the following possible measures with regard to exporters, as the case may be: seizures or confiscations, returns, immobilization, quarantine, retention, reloading, rejection, withdrawal from the market, treatment, seizure, separation, incineration, destruction, sacrifice, final disposition, suspension of activities, inspections of registration, authorizations, or production sites, cancellation of registrations or authorizations, closure, temporary closure, or definitive closure.
Given this situation, Senasa recommends that producers, packers, and exporters comply with the directives and regulations in force, ensuring the traceability of export shipments; thus avoiding restrictions or market closures for Peruvian products.
Source: gob.pe