This week, the Board of Directors of IFPS will be in Canada to get updated on the latest developments in Canadian fresh produce at the CPMA. After this week's events, the Board will hold a meeting on Foodsafety, Product Identification and Supply Chain issues. 

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Today, Frug I Com and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA launch a special offer for the members of the associations active in IFPS for SMART Horticulture Asia. Delegate passes for SMART Horticulture Asia are available at a highly discounted rate of 3.000 HKD (35% discount on standard online rate). 

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On Thursday June 23rd, the Board of the IFPS met at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago for their Spring Meeting in conjunction with United Fresh Produce Association’s Convention, United Fresh. The Board welcomed new Board member Gry Sørensen from The Norwegian Association of Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers.  

In addition Kelly Kirschner, VP of Global Marketing at Sinclair Systems International, LLC participated as a representative of this new associated member. Also new to the group was Elena Tomanovich, Senior Director Industry Engagement as the new liaison for Fresh at GS1 Global.

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IFPS teams up with Asia Fruit Logistica for the first-ever conference for Information Management, Standards & Technology for Asia’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector. 

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As the adoption of Price Look-Up (PLU) codes gain further traction in the produce industry, the IFPS has committed to transitioning the previously unused prefix '8' to accommodate an increase in varieties of fresh produce items as they enter the market. Please refer to the press release (English, Spanish and French) for further information. Additional information can also be found in this article which is an extract from the October 2015 Fresh Magazine issue published by PMA.

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The PLU Codes database which contains more than 1,400 standard PLU codes for the fresh produce industry is now housed on this site. Please access the search function here. 

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The first week of June the Board of Directors of IFPS is meeting in Oslo. A special welcome for the host Oddmund Ostebo, as it is the last meeting of Oddmund. He is retiring at Frukt- og Grønnsakgrossistenes Servicekontor. 

The Board of Directors would like to thank Oddmund; not only for almost 10 years of being active for IFPS., but also for his vision for the need to found the association.

 

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The message has recieved us that there is send an email to all members with as subject: "IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS".

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Improving supply chain efficiencies from the field to the consumer helps ensure that the right product gets to the right place at the right time. Designed to assist the produce industry to learn how to identify their products along the supply chain, an e-Learning module is now available to help make one of the sometimes most confusing supply chain processes easier to understand. Produce Identification in the Fresh Produce Industry was developed for all industry participants to gain foundational knowledge on this subject. 

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Read the article about the EU Forum at Fresh Plaza

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Labels contain important information about the products, and a distinction is made between labels on packaging and labels on the product. Jane Proctor, of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, explains about the importance of standardisation in labelling.

Read the Fresh Plaza Article on the EU Fresh Info Forum & Roundtable article

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In association with IFPS GS1 in Europa and Frug I Com are organising the 1st EU FRESH INFO Forum and Roundtable about Informationmanagement in Fresh Produce. More then 150 delegates registrated for the event 3 and 4 december in Rotterdam. 

More info >>

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On the 2 of December the Board of Directors and General Assemblee is meeting at the pre-event meeting during the 1st EU FRESH INFO Forum and Roundtable at the SS Rotterdam (Netherlands). 

Here the next step in PLU is the main issue on the agenda. Also the work on the new webpages and app for Lookup of the PLU and connected GS1 Global Product Classification. 

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The Produce Traceability Initiative is moving forward in the USA by implementing Standard Crate labels for Track & Trace in fresh produce. During the PMA Fresh Summit in New Orleans, IFPS offers you the opportunity to learn more about PTI in practice. 

On Tuesday 15th October, IFPS has arranged a visit to Associated Grocers, Inc. – Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where you will be updated on PTI in practice in this retail distribution centre, followed by visits to other retailers. 

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IFPS would like to congratulate Jane Proctor with winning the award "Best ambassador of Canadian industry". Read the whole interview. 

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The board of IFPS had their Spring meeting in Brussels. On the first day a visit was planned to Dole. The IFPS board got a tour through the traceability chain of Dole. 

IFPS would like to thank Dole, Capestan, Belfruco and Belgium New Fruit Wharf for their hospitality. 

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During the global working session Fresh Produce Standards in Venlo  Septem-ber 2012 an European GS1 Fruit & Vegetables Working Group has been initiat-ed. This group, GS1 in Europe - Fruit & Vegetables GS1 standards deployment in Europe, was set up to ensure a harmonised implementation of the GS1 Sys-tem in the fruit and vegetables sector. Apart from European GS1 organizations, major industry associations like the International Federation for Produce Stand-ards (IFPS), Freshfel Europe , Frug I Com,  important user companies from the retailer and supplier communities are key stakeholders of the working group. 

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IFPS is pleased to announce its second global forum to be held at Fruit Logistica on the 9th of February 2012.  The IFPS forum “Global Harmonization of Fresh Produce Standards” will be held during the trade fair in the Hall Forum, and is free to all Fruit Logistica attendees.  Several international speakers will update the global fresh produce industry on what is happening with respect to Food Safety, Product Identification and Supply Chain Information Management. 

Click here for more information.

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The final IFPS program is published. Click here for more information.
 

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During the second Global Forum at the Fruit Logistica in Berlin the speakers in Fresh Produce will update you about the developments, use and opportunities of standards for food safety, product identification and chain information management around the globe. 

45 minutes on Food safety
What is the state of the art in standardization and harmonization of food safety standards? What are the challenges for the fresh produce chain in this? Would a standard Tracking & Tracing have helped in the EHEC-crisis? What are the demands of retailers on Tracking & Tracing for tomorrow?

30 minutes on Product ID & Chain Information Management
What is the status of implementation of the Databar in Fresh Produce Retailing? What does this mean for Fresh Chain Information Management? Can you connect producer to the consumer with this new standard? What are than the challenges?

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On Thursda,y 8 September 2011, IFPS is organising the First Regional Forum at Asia Fruit Logistica Hong Kong.

In this first meeting, IFPS will update the Asian Fresh Produce Industry on the progress in standardisation in Fresh produce.

With this Forum, IPFS invites produce leaders in Asia to share their perspectives on industry needs and practices. We also invite Fresh Produce & Trade Associations in Asia to join IFPS.

More info in the invitation or on the special webpages.

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The International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) has been granted Observer Status as an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, providing the produce industry a focal point for interaction regarding global produce standards with the commission. 

The news came shortly after the IFPS held its annual meeting May 24 in Rotterdam, in which Board members reviewed progress over the past year and set work plans for committees addressing Product Identification, Information Management, and Food Safety standards. 

During the meeting, immediate past Chairman Hans Maurer, United Fresh New Zealand, and Vice Chairman Oddmund Estebo, Norges Frukt-og Gronnsaksgrossisters Forbund, Norway, were recognized for their past two years of leadership.  Elected as the new Chairman of IFPS was Tom Stenzel, United Fresh Produce Association, US; Harrij Schmeitz, Frug I Com, The Netherlands, was elected Vice Chairman.

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On the 24th of May the Annual Spring meeting if IFPS is held at the Offices of Frug I Com in the Netherlands.

On the agenda is the Businessplan for the upcoming years one of the main issues. Also we are talking about the Cultivation Message.

On Monday the 23th of May there will be an Industry Tour for the participants were the are visiting the Port of Rotterdam, Retailstore AH, Nature's Pride, FresQ, Greenpack  and Van de Lans (Tomatoegrower).  Interesting Dutch Fresh Produce Companies which will give the international members from South Africa, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Freshfel Europe, UK, Norway, Chili etc.  a lot to discus.

From Wednesday members will be participating in the Fresh Congress in Rotterdam. More info about this congress >> 

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“Feedback received confirmed that as an industry, we are not only global but are
indeed having to cope with identical problems within our global trading activities,
regardless of where in the world we are located,” says Dr Hans Maurer, IFPS Chair.
“Fruit Logistica and IFPS are now in a dialogue to determine how we can intensify our
cooperation at AsiaFruit Logistica 2011, Fruit Logistica 2012, and beyond. We thank Fruit Logistica for its support to date.”
 

Presentations are available on the Forum webpages.

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The International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) is pleased to advise that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has registered IFPS as a liaison with the committee for ISO/T 34/SC 17 Management systems for food safety.
This liaison means that IFPS will be able to contribute to the process of the ongoing
development of this ISO Standard. This gives IFPS members a voice in a process that affects the industry they represent.

IFPS Chairman Dr Hans Maurer (United Fresh New Zealand) said “The work ISO does in the
area of Standards development is critical in today’s global market – particularly in the area
of food safety. For IFPS to be able to participate in this process can only enhance the
robustness of Standards applicable in the fresh produce industry in years to come.”
 

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