Egyptian iceberg lettuce and broccoli: winter greens for Europe and the Gulf

Leafy and green vegetables are some of the most perishable products in the export trade. Egypt supplies iceberg lettuce from October to July and broccoli from December to March, when European field production is limited.

Iceberg lettuce

Specification

• Head weight: 650–1,000 g, graded by count per carton.
• Firmness: well-closed, firm heads.
• Colour: fresh green outer leaves, light inner leaves.
• Trimming: number of wrapper leaves agreed.
• Tolerances: tip burn, russet spotting, bruising and decay.

Packing

• Printed 6 kg carton, heads packed by count.
• Individually wrapped heads in film for retail.
• 6 kg plastic crate for wholesale and foodservice.

Broccoli

Specification

• Green, compact heads with tight, closed florets.
• Head size and stem length by agreement.
• No yellowing, which shows age or warm handling.
• Clean cut stems.

Packing on ice

Broccoli has a very high respiration rate. To keep heads green and firm, it is often packed in an insulated 8 kg foam box with ice. Ventilated cartons are used for short routes and fast supply chains. Pads and liners protect the heads during handling.

Cold chain for greens

Product	Temperature	Relative humidity
Iceberg lettuce	0 to +1 °C	95%+
Broccoli	0 °C	95–100%

Both products must be cooled immediately after harvest — lettuce often by vacuum cooling, broccoli by ice or forced air. Both are sensitive to ethylene: lettuce develops russet spotting and broccoli turns yellow. They should never travel with ripening fruit.

Building a greens programme

Lettuce and broccoli can be combined with carrots at similar cold, humid conditions. Warmer vegetables such as cucumbers and peppers need a separate set-point.

Greens are sold on freshness. Cool them fast, keep them near 0 °C and keep ethylene away.

See specifications on our iceberg lettuce and broccoli pages.