Peruvian Hass avocados must now meet stricter maturity criteria

To maintain international competitiveness and meet rising quality demands from export markets, Peru has raised the minimum dry matter content for Hass avocados from 21.5% to 22%. This update, part of the revised Technical Quality Standard for Avocados approved by INACAL, is aimed at ensuring better fruit maturity, flavour, and consistency.

According to Alfredo Caycho Grados, chair of the technical committee behind the standard and quality head at the Fruit Producers Consortium, the new requirement aligns Peru’s exports with expectations from key markets. European and U.S. premium retailers typically demand dry matter between 23–25%, while Asian buyers prefer levels above 22%.

Although the standard sets minimum thresholds, exporters can adopt higher benchmarks based on client needs. The revised rule also helps avoid early harvesting issues that have previously led to complaints from overseas buyers.

The standard does not include a minimum oil content due to regional variability and the complexity of establishing a reliable formula. However, dry matter is closely linked to oil content, and industry group ProHass is currently working on zone-specific equations to estimate oil percentages.

Besides the updated dry matter level, the revised regulation includes minor wording changes and visual references to fruit defects. The standard applies solely to fresh avocados for direct consumption, excluding industrial use.

source: prohass.com.pe, agraria.pe

photo: fruitsinperu.com