Perry van der Meer, Team Leader of Quality Control at Harvest House, needed 120 pages to complete the photo album of his career. On October 1, will mark 40 years since he joined KCB as a quality inspector. Throughout these four decades, he has inspected countless fresh produce items, visited 21 countries for work, and remains as passionate about his profession as ever. "I always say that the inspector of the past is the quality advisor of today."
Perry began his career at KCB in Veiling Westerlee but eventually worked at the three auction houses in Westland. A winter stint at the fruit auction in Geldermalsen caught his interest—"I was quite the busy bee"—but his request to work at the auction during the summer and shift to fruit in the quieter winter months was denied. "At KCB, I truly laid the foundation for the rest of my career. I took every possible course and learned to inspect all kinds of products. It was a different time."
Through a friend, he landed a position as an inspector at the export company Waling van Geest, where he dealt with the specifications of English supermarkets and food safety regulations—hence the need for hairnets, removal of watches, and wearing lab coats, among other requirements. "The entire auction house in Noord was talking about it and thought we had gone mad. Now, it's the most normal thing in the world," Perry reflects.
Born in Canada, he was drawn to the English language. When Waling van Geest was acquired by The Greenery, he moved to the new facility at Disselkoen, now home to Kraaijeveld, where he worked for five years with Greenery UK. "When Frans van der Burg left, I told him he could always call me if he needed an inspector. I said, 'Give me a problem, and I'll solve it!' A month later, I was employed by TNI."
In his current role at Harvest House, Perry supervises four colleagues in the quality department and also conducts inspections for the export divisions TNI, Rainbow International, and Global Green Team. "This allows me to inspect a variety of products, which makes the work enjoyable." His job has taken him to countries such as Dubai, Tunisia, the United States, Canada, and Israel. "I have always found travel to be wonderful. Whether it was for a business visit, handling claims, or conducting audits, I'm more than happy to hop on a plane whenever I'm called for an assignment. However, these trips have taught me that we are not the only ones in the world who can cultivate quality produce."
"The inspection process is incomparable to what it used to be. The auction always had to deal with a minimum price, which often led to products being destroyed. That is no longer the case for us, as we now have a great alternative with our tomato blend from Food Fellows. At the same time, I must say that the quality of Dutch produce, after all my travels, is not significantly better than what I've seen abroad; we need to stay vigilant. The growth of horticultural companies has also played a role in this, as everything must happen faster now. In the past, we still had a 'super' block at the auction, though we must be honest that it often went unpaid. But ultimately, it is the customer who keeps us sharp when it comes to quality."
"I want to emphasize to the industry the importance of remaining vigilant about quality. In the past, we had smaller businesses where boxes were filled by hand, allowing for better oversight. With the increase in scale, you often deal with temporary workers, sometimes inexperienced individuals who still have a lot to learn. Automation is also on the rise, which means you don't see everything first hand anymore. It's the modern era, and it's great that technology and AI can assist us so much, but again, we must stay alert!"
"I sometimes fear that we, as inspectors, are becoming an endangered species. At the same time, I am convinced that the future of inspection is digital, and I welcome that shift. I have also always been interested in the automation of horticulture. I hope to witness the breakthrough of leaf-picking and harvesting robots," Perry explains. He cites milestones he has experienced, such as the disappearance of the clock, the shift from growing in soil to substrate, the transition from wooden to cardboard packaging, and the logistics involving pallets in trucks. "Over the years, I've learned never to say that new developments are impossible."
"Problems in cultivation have always existed. There are still plenty of issues in peppers and tomatoes that need to be addressed. I believe that seed breeders also bear some responsibility in this regard. It was quite impressive how seed companies responded to the ToBRFV virus in tomatoes. As a small country, we are capable of achieving great things," Perry states. He has noticed that, particularly in recent years, the audits at cultivation companies have become somewhat excessive. "All these different audits create a lot of stress and incur costs. Ideally, the audits should be harmonized through a single auditing organization."
When asked about the biggest challenge in his work, the inspector emphasizes the importance of serving satisfied customers. "A satisfied customer always returns. Of course, this has led to numerous discussions with growers over the years, but I have always tried to be honest in my reports. Ultimately, I believe that honesty earns respect; when a grower sees that you are consistent, they trust you. But that doesn't mean it's always easy. Rejecting a product always comes down to money. There are growers with 100 hectares or more, and they are real businesspeople. You need to stand your ground."
Perry (64) has two and a half years left until his retirement. "I look forward to it. I greatly enjoy my work as an inspector, but there's more to life than work. I now have two grandchildren, with a third on the way, and I also hope to spend more time on my hobby, sailing with my sloop."
To celebrate his anniversary, Perry has written a text to the tune of "Una Paloma Blanca" by George Baker, which he has sung himself, titled "FF keuren bij die tuinder."
Click here to listen to the song.
For more information:
Perry van der Meer
Harvest House
T: +31 (0)174 519 159
M: +31 (0)6 51 562 103
[email protected]