Quality from the field to the shelf - fast, direct, ultra-fresh
The international trading office in the Spanish city of Valencia procures fruit and vegetables from all over the world for METRO.
‘We started from scratch’, recalls Jorge Garcia, Head of Quality & Sustainability at Valencia Trading Office (VTO), at the beginning of 2009. Today, more than 10 years later, the VTO team consists of more than 70 employees and cooperates with more than 300 fruit and vegetable suppliers around the world. In addition, the VTO is now part of a global food procurement network.
Experienced specialists from 13 nations work in the Valencia Trading Office – from buyers and sellers to logistics experts and quality inspectors. Around the globe, the team procures a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This includes exotic fruits, such as caviar lime, a citrus plant with pear-like flesh, or new varieties such as ready-to-eat avocados with a perfect level of ripeness for immediate consumption.
Joint path to success
‘We keep a close eye on the supply chain’, says Jorge Garcia. ‘From sowing seeds to fruit harvesting and packing/shipping the products – every single step requires experience and know-how to ensure the quality and food safety of the products.’ Dependable cooperation with the suppliers is also key. A great example of success is the partnership with spanish orange grower Jose Luis Martinez, with whom the VTO has been cooperating for almost 10 years – always with the common goal of putting only the best fruits on the shelf.