A grape's journey from vine to shelf
Kitchen grapes make for a good example, as they make a long journey to get from vine to shelf. The whole process is known as the cold-supply chain and the juicy snacks can take somewhere around 12 to 15 days from picking to purchasing.
According to Maidencreek-Township-based Redner's Warehouse Markets, the grapes start their journey in Chile, where they are bought by them in mass and have them shipped in containers to the Port of Philadelphia's Packer Avenue Marine Terminal or other various container facilities.
Here, there grapes go through stringent inspection and tests by the United States Department of Agriculture which is put into place to ensure the grapes are safe for consumption and that they meet the standards of US produce.
"In many instances, a typical development fruit will go from Philadelphia to a big repacking plant, usually in Delaware County, sometimes Chester County, or South Jersey, or it can be repackaged and labeled with that seller in the U.S.," said Dominic O'Brien, senior marketing representative at the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (and no relation to this writer). "It will go from there to a store in Berks County."
As you can see, simple table grapes may not be so simple after all but after traveling far by boat, being inspected at port, being packed at a repacking facility and finally being shipped to your local store they can finally reach their last destination, your mouth.
source: readingeagle.com
