In 1995, the Belgian auctions introduced the Flandria quality label. Flandria stands for excellent quality, which is cultivated by family businesses in an environmental friendly way. The tomato was the first vegetable sold under the Flandria quality label. Currently, more than 50 vegetables bear the Flandria quality label. By packing the Flandria products in a clearly recognisable packaging, the quality vegetables can be recognised well for distribution, and they provide for an improvement of the image of the product.



The cultivation of Flandria products is subject to strict conditions for production. This applies to both the choice of the garden mould used for cultivation, the plant material used, the food as well as the irrigation. In addition, an ecological balance is established with the use of a balanced set of natural cultivation measures. After all, the grower prefers biological control methods without any chemical protection means for the plants. The growers must work at the company in accordance with a strict code regarding hygiene. The various areas for application, such as personal hygiene, buildings, harvest, and transport are monitored strictly.


The Flandria products must comply with the quality as described in the Flandria instructions. Minimum requirements are set for the varieties used (very important for taste, shelf life, etc.), the shape, the grading, the ripeness, the firmness, and the lack of foreign substances. Inspectors of the Auction of Mechlin check this quality at the supply. A batch that does not comply with the requirements irrevocably loses the Flandria quality label.

In order to meet the requirements of the people in the trade and of the government, the auction "Mechelse Veilingen" have taken the decision to extend the content of the quality label Flandria by adding the FlandriaGap Specifications. As a result of these specifications, the strict standards for hygiene, planet friendly planting and sustainable horticulture, which apply to Flandria, are now set even higher. Extra attention is being paid to food safety, care for the environment and the work force. The end result is that Flandria is ready today to supply tomorrow's fresh vegetables.
www.flandriagap.be

The food chain of the Flandria products can be traced perfectly, from the soil until consumption. The cultivation technique, the food, the hygiene, and the plant protection are registered and are checked at the company of the market gardeners by those people of the auction who are responsible for the quality. In addition, samples are taken at regular intervals and analyses are carried out by an independent, authorised laboratory, Fytolab. Furthermore, for each product sold the producer is known, as well as where and when it has been harvested.

A large range of vegetables (and fruit) is cultivated with the Flandria quality label. These vegetables can be classified into various product families: fruit vegetables, leafy vegetables, stem and stalk vegetables, root crops and tuberous plants, various types of cabbages, pulses, fungi, and soft fruit.

This web site does not give you a complete survey of the vegetables cultivated in our country, nor of all the vegetables traded on the Auction of Mechlin under the Flandria quality label. You can find a complete survey on the Flandria web site http://www.flandria.vlam.be.

Pink tomatoes, red Belgian endive, yellow courgettes, hot peppers, shoots of asparagus pea, beech mushrooms, purple potatoes. All new specialties from Belgian market gardening with the Flandria quality label are now centralized into one clearly recognizable group: Flandria Specialty Street.
The Flandria Specialty Street logo will gradually appear on all packagings. Most Flandria Specialty Street products are already on offer in small packagings of 125, 250, and 500 g. Click here and discover everything about this new line!