A new melon has just been awarded the Red Label certification, “following publication of the approval by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty and the French Ministry of Economy, on October 21st, 2023,” as announced by INAO on October 25th. This is the second melon to be awarded the Red Label.
© Vendée Qualité
A project by Vendée Qualité
The project was led by Vendée Qualité, a multi-sector organization managing over 40 SIQO products (mainly Red Label). “Vendée operators (producers and shippers) asked us to write these specifications,” explains Ophélie Ragot, certification manager at Vendée Qualité. Producers wanted to highlight their sustainable production methods (limiting irrigation and inputs), so we created a melon section in 2019.” For the time being, the sector mainly comprises growers based in southern Vendée, but it could expand in the years to come. “The season starts next year and currently involves a few producers of the department, but other growers interested in the certification could join in order to benefit from it.”
Specifications
The new Red Label melon (n° LA06/23) is a yellow Charentais melon with a very sweet orange flesh. With a minimum weight of 600g, it is characterized by a green, yellow or cream-colored rind. The sugar content is set at a minimum of 13° Brix. Measurements are taken on samples of each batch. The stalk, less than 2cm long, is preserved during picking. Melons are packaged by size, then sold fresh and whole by the unit, or in single-layer trays. The melon's taste is of the highest quality. A crop rotation of at least 5 years after a year of melon cultivation is imposed to conserve soil fertility and reduce the impact of production on natural resources, by limiting fertilization, water inputs and phytosanitary treatments. The time between picking and shipping is reduced to a maximum of 2 days, to preserve the melon's freshness and organoleptic qualities. Its aromatic intensity comes from a selection of varieties, based on agronomic trials and physico-chemical and sensory analyses. “This superior taste quality is validated by an external Cofrac-accredited laboratory,” explains Ophélie Ragot.
Red Label and consumers
According to Ophélie Ragot, this certification has become “increasingly important. It is a guarantee of superior quality in terms of taste and production, and it meets increasingly high societal expectations.” According to a joint study by the French National Food Council and the French National Institute for Consumer Affairs in 2019, the Red Label benefits from “a very high level of consumer awareness.” In fact, 95% of consumers are familiar with it, 78% consider it to be a guarantee of taste quality, 64% of traceability and 62% of food safety.
Vendée Qualité is currently working on other Red Label certification projects for other fruit and vegetables. “A draft specification is in the application process for chickpeas.”
For more information:
Vendée Qualité
Maison de l’Agriculture
Bd Réaumur 85013
La Roche-sur-Yon
Phone: 02 51 36 82 68
contact@vendeequalite.fr
vendee-qualite.com