QUALITY LABEL AND CERTIFICATION FOR SPANISH LEMON EXPORTERS IN COLABORATION WITH:

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1 QUALITY LABEL AND CERTIFICATION FOR SPANISH LEMON EXPORTERS IN COLABORATION WITH:

2 The Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) is financing this initiative within the framework of the aid to Food and Agriculture Inter-professional Organisations. AILIMPO is exclusively liable for any opinion contained in this document, which in no way represents MARM opinion IN COLABORATION WITH:

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4 QUALITY LABEL AND CERTIFICATION FOR SPANISH LEMON EXPORTERS

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6 01. SPANISH LEMON EXPORTERS' CERTIFICATION: A GUARANTEE FOR ALL In the light of the increasing concern of large distributors and national and international consumers with respect to areas such as food quality and safety, environmental commitments and occupational health and safety, among others, compliance with protocols and good practices has become a must in the preparing of agricultural produce and food products. Such protocols lay down the requirements and recommendations to be complied with by suppliers during all stages following the primary production stage. Moreover, they require the simultaneous adoption of a HACCP System, a Quality Management System such as, for example, ISO 9001, IFS, BRC, ISO 22000, etc., and compliance with a series of requirements related to preparation storage, product control, processes and personnel, as well as environmental management, occupational health and safety and social responsibility, among others. Distribution chains need to know who offers consumers the maximum safety, while the suppliers can use them as marketing instruments when it comes to promoting their products on new markets, or holding onto and consolidating, where appropriate, their already existing markets. The main aims behind protocols are to ensure that all the lemon packing houses that are certified by Ailimpo meet a series of minimum requirements and to promote the implementation and certification of management systems that guarantee the quality of our lemons on the market. THE IDEA The market needs to be able to identify the suppliers that can offer consumers the highest level of food safety and quality. By means of a self-regulation process, the AILIMPO Protocol enables the publication of a list of certified companies. Ailimpo has validated the certification process in accordance with the ISO 9001:2008 standard. The Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs endorses the Protocol and its associated Quality Label. 03

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8 02. AILIMPO The Spanish Lemon and Grapefruit Interprofessional Association (AILIMPO) was set up as an organisation to bring together representatives of the business activities linked to the production, trading and processing of the lemon and grapefruit in Spain, with the aim in mind of structuring the sector and defending its general interests in such a way as to promote contact and cohesion among Spanish lemon and grapefruit producers, traders, exporters and processors. AILIMPO is acknowledged as a Food and Agricultural Inter-professional Organisation (OIA) pursuant to the Ministerial Order of 27 November Subsequently, on 18 March 1999 the Ministerial Order was published acknowledging AILIMPO as an Interprofessional Organisation in accordance with that which is laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96. The main general aims of AILIMPO are as follows: Representation of the lemon and grapefruit sector. Improving market transparency and equilibrium. Assessing products at all destinations, mainly by means of quality and service. Co-ordinating the activities of the different agents that form part of the chain in order to improve the efficiency of the process as a whole. Informing and satisfying the customer as far as possible, increasing the demand for and the qualitative prestige of lemons, grapefruit and their byproducts. Achieving greater respect for the environment with respect to all the activities represented and minimising negative environmental impacts. 05

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10 03. THE AILIMPO PROTOCOL AND CERTIFICATION AILIMPO provides lemon packing houses and exporters with a protocol to issue its own mark that implies compliance with a set of sector standards and requirements. The obtaining of the requisite certification to use the mark involves providing evidence of compliance with a series of standardised requirements in the reference protocol. The Spanish Lemon and Grapefruit Interprofessional Association, AILIMPO, adheres to a Quality Management System in accordance with the UNE-EN ISO 9001:2008 Standard, the AENOR Company Register Certificate, with No. ER-0107/2004, including the certification of its own mark protocol in lemon packing houses scope. 04. THE SCOPE OF THE CERTIFICATION PROTOCOL In order to accredit a packing house, a series of requirements covering the following areas need to be met: - Food Safety. - Environmental Management. - Occupational Health and Safety. - Social Responsibility. - Fulfilment of tax and social security obligations. - Commitment to generalising the use of the standardised packing housefarmer contract approved by the Ministry of Agriculture. - Etc. 05. CERTIFICATE GRANTING PROCESS Any exporter/lemon packing house can voluntarily sign up to the reference protocol and get the certificate that enables the use of the distinguishing mark. The certificate granting processes begins with the application for certification by the organisation in question. This can be done in two ways, depending on the initial situation of the applicants. 07

11 TWO WAYS TO GET THE CERTIFICATE A. By validation: To this end the Application for Facilities Approval document issued for this purpose and made available by AILIMPO must be completed with respect to the following areas: - Accreditation of environmental management system certificate of acknowledged prestige (for example: ISO 14001, GLOBAL-GAP). Occupational Health and Safety: Food Quality and Safety and Hygiene: - Accreditation of a Quality Management system certificate held (which includes Food Safety and Hygiene) of acknowledged prestige (for example: UNE-EN ISO 9001, BRC, IFS, GLOBAL-GAP, etc.). The Environment: - Certificate of compliance with environmental management. - Certificate of compliance with Occupational Health and Safety regulations and laws issued by the Occupational Risk Prevention Service. - Accreditation of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System certificate of acknowledged prestige (for example: OHSAS 18001). Social Responsibility. Use of the approved contract: - Commitment to generalising the use of the standardised packing house-farmer contract approved by MARM for the buying and selling of lemons. 08

12 B. By implementation: For those organisations that do not hold any of the aforementioned certificates, an audit will have to be carried out to determine whether or not the management system being implemented by the organisation in question meets the requirements laid down by the AILIMPO Protocol. A duly qualified auditing team will carry out the audits, after which it will issue a report for certification purposes. This auditing process is carried out in accordance with that which is laid down in the General Regulations for the Protocol Certification with Private System for the Issuing of its Own Mark in Lemon Packing Houses. AILIMPO technical services check compliance of the documentation submitted and determines the suitability of same. Agreements to grant certification are taken by the AILIMPO Certification Committee. By granting the certificate, AILIMPO gives the certified organisation permission to use the corresponding Mark for a period of three years, subject to an annual monitoring and a renewal process at the end of the three-year term. 09

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14 START A. BY IMPLEMENTATION B. BY VALIDATION SENDING OF CERTIFICATION APPLICATION AUDITORÍA Y PLAN DE ACCIONES CORRECTIVAS SENDING OF CERTIFICATION APPLICATION AND ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION AND ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS BEEN MET? YES NO EXTRAORDINDARY AUDIT OR ACCREDITING OF COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS BY IMPLEMENTATION GRANTING OF CERTIFICATE (VALID FOR THREE YEARS) BY VALIDATION MONITORING AUDITS (FIRST AND SECOND YEAR AFTER INITIAL AUDIT) DOCUMENTARY MONITORING (FIRST AND SECOND YEAR AFTER INITIAL ASSESSMENT) GRANTING OF THE MONITORING CERTIFICATE BY IMPLEMENTATION BY VALIDATION CERTIFICATE RENEWAL AUDIT (AFTER THIRD YEAR) REVISION OF DOCUMENTATION TO RENEW CERTIFICATION (AFTER THIRD YEAR) ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION AND ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION GRANTING OF THE CERTIFICATE RENEWAL END 11

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16 07. THE ADVANTAGES OF CERTIFICATION AILIMPO will carry out, among others, the following actions: - Publication of a list of the approved packing houses. - Presentation of the approval protocol and the list of packing houses to: Public Administration: Ministry, Departments. Distribution Chain Associations on the National Market. Clients and Purchasing Centres. - It provides certified organisations with its own mark. The advantages of implementing a management protocol are beyond question, particularly with respect to ensuring food safety and improving business organisation and management, guiding it towards a more efficient and controlled use of the resources required to carry out the activity. Explicitly, the following advantages are worthy of mention: Increase in customer satisfaction and confidence. Aid to meeting the legal requirements that affect the sector. Processes systematisation. Reduction of food hazards and negative environmental impacts and minimisation of occupational risks. Maximisation of traceability throughout the food chain. Increase of effective communication between the interested parties. Publicity of the certified management system with respect to customers. Improvement of the organisation's image Increase in the clarity and transparency of the business actions undertaken. Distinguishing your business from the competition. 13

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20 Calle Villaleal nº3, Murcia (Spain) T F.: informacion@ailimpo.com