Pacta sunt servanda!
Protecting the interests of fruit and vegetable exporters
Case Study
The Association of Polish Exporters and Distributors of Fruit and Vegetables “Fruit Union” (Unia Owocowa) brought together several dozen large companies and producer groups involved in the export of fruit and vegetables to Russia. It was established in 2010 from the need to protect the interests of associated companies in the situation of an embargo imposed by the Russian Federation on imports of fruit and vegetables from Poland. At that time, the Fruit Union represented the interests of 34 Polish entrepreneurs exporting fruit and vegetables from the Grójec region.
I was hired to review and update the statutes of this association, organize its internal structures, develop operating procedures and develop its website. I was also asked to provide ongoing advisory assistance in the Association’s relations with state and European authorities, as well as to cooperate on behalf of the Association with a law firm and a public relations agency. One of my tasks was also to prepare a business plan for the phytosanitary research laboratory.
Embargo, or effective tactics of Moscow
Trade relations between the European Communities and the Russian Federation were regulated in the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of June 24, 1994, while the agreement of November 2, 2004 was the basis for the development of economic relations between Poland and Russia. Despite these (and other) regulations, Russia often used the embargo on imports of agricultural and food products as an instrument of its policy towards the European Union countries. In the years 2009-2011 (and later), the embargo was imposed on imports from Poland. It took the form of prohibitive tariffs or sanitary restrictions, preventing the export and sale of Polish fruit and vegetables in the territory of the Russian Federation.
In 2008, the European Union signed a memorandum with the Russian Federation, under which all fruit and vegetable exporters had to obtain safety certificates confirming compliance with Russian sanitary standards. The tests were carried out by specialized Polish laboratories, which confirmed the quality (purity) of fruit and vegetables for each exported batch.
In 2010, for unclear reasons, the Russian Federation stopped honoring certificates issued by most Polish laboratories, recognizing the phytosanitary certificates of only one private organization, representing the interests of several small producers and exporters. This decision was incomprehensible and inadequate to the realities of the Polish fruit and vegetable production sector. All exporters trading with the East were forced to purchase safety certificates not covered by Polish law and non-normative (not meeting global standards). The unit price of the certificate was EUR 300 for each truck crossing the border of the Russian Federation.
The situation has become very burdensome for Polish producers and exporters. Attempts to solve the problem were made by the Minister of Agriculture and the Polish Ambassador to Russia. As a result of the talks, restrictions on certificates were temporarily lifted. Thanks to the interventions of the Fruit Union, representatives of the European Commission also got involved in this matter.
The Association undertaked organized actions, trying to prevent the effects of Russian restrictions. Blocking exports to Russia meant serious trouble for many Polish companies. Indirect export routes were sought, which allowed to save the situation to some extent. Polish fruit and vegetable exporters were not prepared at that time to export to distant world markets.
Research on the safety of food products
The Russian Rosselkhoznadzor honored certificates issued by only four out of a dozen of Polish laboratories. This limitation meant that it took more than a year for the certificate to be issued. Such the state of affairs was unacceptable. Providing a fruit sample for testing required depressurization of a huge warehouse (fruits are stored in nitrogen) and quick sale. Waiting too long for the certificate threatened to spoil the depressurized batch of fruit.
Pesticides (pestis – pest, plague; cedeo – killing) are a large group of chemical compounds (about 1000) used to destroy parasites of farm animals and plants. They are divided into agents for combating animal pests (zoocides, insecticides), bacteria (bactericides), weeds (herbicides) and fungi (fungicides). Insecticides pose the greatest risk of poisoning.
The most commonly used analytical methods are solid phase extraction or liquid-liquid extraction. Due to the diversity of properties, pesticides cannot be treated as a homogeneous group of pollutants. Determination of pesticide residues is most often performed using chromatographic methods: gas, liquid or thin-layer chromatography – using selective and specific detectors. Analysis of organo-nitrogen and phosphorus insecticides can be performed using gas chromatography with a thermionic detector.
For organochlorine insecticides, an electron capture detector is used. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is also useful. More common pesticides (e.g. phenoxy acids) can be determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode detector.
When determining pesticides, a UV, fluorescent or amperometric detector may be useful, as well as a combination of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Less frequently used are supercritical phase chromatography (SFC), capillary electrophoresis (CE), flow injection analysis (FIA) and chemiluminescence methods. Some pesticides can also be determined by immunoenzymatic methods.
Undesirable substances in food include nitrates and nitrites formed from them. They are found in bread, milk, dairy products, meat products, as well as in water, table salt and many other foods. The main source of nitrates are vegetables, which, due to the excessive use of artificial fertilizers and contamination of the environment with industrial dust, retain the largest amount of them. Leaf vegetables are much richer in nitrates than seed and fruit vegetables. Root vegetables, on the other hand, occupy an intermediate position.
It is assumed that vegetables with a long growing season accumulate less nitrates than those with a short one. Broad beans, seed beans, Brussels sprouts, peas, corn, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, cauliflowers, onions and potatoes are less likely to accumulate nitrates. Beetroot, early varieties of cabbage, radishes, lettuce, celery, spinach, kohlrabi, parsley, garlic and chives are more prone.
Nitrites and nitrates are water-soluble chemical compounds. Safe storage of vegetables requires low temperature and packaging that allows air access. Such conditions prevent the transformation of nitrates into nitrites, which form substances that are hazardous to health.
Spectrophotometric methods described in the PN-A-75112:1992 standard are used for the determination of nitrates and nitrites. They consist in extracting nitrates and nitrites from the sample and developing a color reaction with the Griess reagent. Before using the Griess reagent, the nitrates are reduced on a cadmium column, which can be replaced by the use of enzymatic tests (enzymatic reduction). The advantage of using enzyme tests is their simplicity and the fact that no harmful reagents are used in the test procedure.
The determination of heavy metal residues on fruit and vegetables is of great importance for the protection of consumer health. Among heavy metals, cadmium, lead and mercury pose the greatest threat. It is estimated that about 80-90% of the total intake of heavy metals into the body occurs with food, while the rest – through the respiratory system.
Currently, the most common method in the analysis of metals (including heavy metals) is atomic absorption spectrometry. This method is recommended by Polish standards for foodstuffs (PN-EN 14082; 14083; 14084: 2004; 14332: 2006), starches and derived products (PN-EN ISO 11212-1 to 4: 2001/2002), as well as oils and fats plants and animals (PN-EN ISO 12193:2005).
Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) is an analytical method based on the phenomenon of absorption of electromagnetic radiation by free atoms formed during thermal excitation. Excitation causes most substances to dissociate their constituent elements. This method allows the determination of about 70 elements, including heavy metals.
The oldest atomization technique is torch flame atomization (F-AAS). A newer method of atomization is the use of electrothermal atomizers, which are most often graphite cuvettes (furnaces). Other techniques used in atomic absorption are: hydride generation and determination of mercury content by cold vapor technique (CV-AAS). An innovative method in the analysis of elements is mass spectrometry with inductively excited plasma (ICP-MS).
Further development of the ICP-MS technique is associated with the use of a mass analyzer that separates ions and checks the differences in their flight times over a specific distance (ICP-TOF-MS). Such analyzes are carried out in high vacuum conditions.
It should definitely be emphasized that the difference between what is written in the documents devoted to the joint actions of states and their relations, and what is in reality is huge. For example, strengthening the strategic partnership between the EU countries and Russia is not enough to be written down in a document, even if it is of a very high rank. In the end, what matters is what we do, not what we announce.
Katarzyna Przybyła
Results of cooperation
The Fruit Union Association (Unia Owocowa) quickly became an efficient organization effectively taking care of the interests of its affiliated companies. The organizational structure and operating procedures have been optimized that way that participation in the Association does not absorb its members unnecessary. The Statute of the Association and other internal normative acts have been optimized in terms of the real operating conditions of the fruit and vegetable producers and exporters industry. All organizational work, as well as statutory activities, was guided by the principle that “there can be no quality outside without quality inside”. Representing several dozen serious companies, operating in a difficult political and market environment, required particular diligence in all aspects of the actions taken.
One of the basic tasks of the Association was to ensure efficient internal and external communication. The website of the Association has become the main channel of communication with the world. Intranet solutions were used for internal communication, enabling the exchange of internal messages and documents. Efficient internal communication between geographically dispersed companies was especially important in crisis situations requiring quick decision-making and cooperation.
The most important goals set by the Association were: promoting healthy Polish food on the domestic and foreign markets; establishing uniform export rules; quick response to emerging difficulties in the industry; an exchange of information; constant cooperation with government and economic institutions; monitoring bad business practices; maintaining the principles of free competition and respecting the principles of business ethics. Maintaining the efficient operation of the Association was one of the important ways to ensure the security of economic transactions for the associated companies.
