As the fresh produce trade between India and Europe continues to grow, one persistent challenge affecting both shippers and receivers is quality visibility across borders. "Addressing this gap is at the heart of our new partnership with European quality control and inspections specialist Fruitify Experts," says Bhushan Yalmar, CEO of Zorro QC, an Indian third-party quality inspection provider.
The collaboration originated from a shared client concern of importers in Europe wanting a clear picture of what was being packed in Indian packhouses, and Indian exporters lacking insight into product conditions upon arrival at European destinations. "The alignment was immediate as we shared a vision for consistent, objective, and actionable quality inspections from field to warehouse," Yalmar mentions.
"Under a bilateral arrangement, Indian-side operations oversee pre-loading inspections, including lot-level quality checks, packaging verification, container loading supervision, and compliance documentation. On arrival in Europe, inspections cover transit damage assessments, arrival surveys, and claim documentation, providing Indian exporters with post-shipment feedback for improvement," Yalmar explains. "This structure offers Indian exporters post-shipment feedback aimed at continuous quality improvement," he adds.
© Zorro QC
"This is more than just about inspections. We're building trust across continents by giving all sides visibility and bringing their standards into sync," says Marijn Atres, Managing Director of Fruitify Experts. "The integration is already having a noticeable impact on reducing disputes, improving transit consistency, and encouraging data-led packhouse performance reviews in both directions," Atres adds.
According to Yalmar, the growing trade in blueberries, avocados, apples, cherries, and exotic vegetables between the EU and India is creating demand for such services. "Our quality inspection network in India now serves inbound EU-origin shipments, ensuring exporters from France, Italy, Poland, and Spain meet expectations in Indian markets," he adds.
In addition, Zorro QC's role goes beyond the India-EU corridor: "We're actively working to bring a structured, European-style quality control system to the Indian market itself, which is still evolving in terms of post-harvest standards and transparency," Yalmar shares. "In addition to Indian importers, our support extends to any global exporter shipping to India, offering visibility of how their products are handled and received. By combining on-ground expertise with digital reporting, we're helping unify expectations across suppliers, buyers, and retailers."
"With the new partnership, both teams aim to solve cross-border supply chain challenges by focusing on how quality is defined, monitored, and delivered in the fresh produce trade. Beyond the fruit condition, it's about maintaining trust and confidence with every shipment," Yalmar concludes.
For more information:
Bhushan Yalmar
Zorro QC
Tel: +91 70 35 364 747
Email: [email protected]
www.zorroqc.com
Marijn Atres
Fruitify Experts
Tel: +31 880 242 800
Email: [email protected]
www.fruitifyexperts.com
