In the fast-moving world of fresh produce, quality control plays a crucial role in making sure products arrive in the best possible condition. For Belén Hernández, every day brings new challenges, unexpected situations, and opportunities to learn.

Originally from Chile, Belén began her journey in quality control after moving to United Kingdom in 2018. Looking to continue growing professionally within the fresh produce industry, she later moved to the Netherlands in 2021, attracted by the country’s central role in the international fruit trade.

“The Netherlands receives fruit from all over the world,” Belén explains. “It felt like the right place to continue developing my career.”

Today, Belén works as a Quality Officer, mainly responsible for stock control of grapes and kiwis. Her role involves checking incoming goods, monitoring stock quality, and maintaining close communication with both buyers and sellers to help ensure the best possible decisions are made throughout the supply chain.

Her workdays begin early and are anything but predictable. Depending on the season and the number of arriving containers, the pace can change quickly, especially during the busy stonefruit season.

“It’s a very dynamic job,” she says. “Even though quality control can sometimes look routine from the outside, every day is different. I always try to make a difference by getting involved in the small problems that need solving.”

A large part of her role involves inspecting fruit quality in detail. The process starts with checking the appearance of the product before moving deeper into condition-related issues that may develop over time on shelves, such as firmness, fungus, or decay.

“We work with standards and scoring systems depending on how the fruit arrives,” Belén explains. “Based on that, we advise the sellers and estimate how long the product can last in stock.”

For Belén, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is knowing that her work directly contributes to important commercial decisions.

“When I work together with the sellers, I know I’m helping them make the best decisions for profitability and avoiding losses,” she says.

What she enjoys most, however, is the dynamic and physical nature of the work.

“I like that I’m not sitting at a desk all day,” she says. “Every container can surprise you from quality issue.” Over the years, Belén has developed valuable skills including patience, adaptability, and knowledge of exotic products that were completely new to her before joining the company. She also highlights how important teamwork and communication are within the warehouse environment.

“The team is very diverse, with many different personalities, and that makes every day interesting,” she says. “Good communication is essential because teamwork is such a big part of what we do.”

Working in the fruit and vegetable industry has also changed the way she looks at fresh produce and global food supply chains. Climate change, she explains, has made every season increasingly unpredictable.

“Harvests and crops can be completely different every year,” Belén says. “You never fully know what to expect when containers arrive, so we constantly need to adapt very quickly.”

That adaptability is exactly the advice she gives to anyone interested in working in quality control or the fresh produce industry.

“You need to learn fast and be flexible,” she says. “There are many factors in this industry that you simply cannot control, so being adaptable is very important.”

Looking back on her journey so far, Belén says the experience has helped her grow both professionally and personally.

“The company has been very supportive throughout my journey here,” she says. “You learn a lot, and you really feel part of something bigger.”

For Belén, even during the busiest days, that sense of contribution is what keeps her motivated.

“I feel like I can give my grain of sand,” she says, “and that makes me feel part of this huge company.”