Flowers Checked Out By Customs Ahead Of Valentine's Day
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – An assembly line of flower inspectors were sifting through boxes of roses and baby's breath Tuesday during the busiest plant processing week of the year.
By the time Valentine's Day rolls around Saturday, U.S. Customs and Border protection specialists will have picked and plucked through more than 80 million tons of flowers.
Stephanie Purtell, CBP inspector, said Tuesday.
"We agitate the flowers in hopes that any insects that are in there will fall on the paper where they're easier to see," Purtell said.
Standing in a giant cooler, these professionals work to make sure the bouquets are bug-free, protecting our agriculture and floral industries from harmful pests and diseases.
"We're looking for pests and aphids. Our inspectors are really scientists in uniform," said Gil Kerlikowske, CBP Commissioner.
CBS4's Gaby Fleischman, at Miami International Airport, was there as a crew was processing about 22 million flowers a day. Most shipped in from countries in South America, including Colombia and Ecuador.
CLICK HERE to watch Gaby Fleischman's report
MIA is a main gateway for flowers. In fact, more than 90-percent of all flowers that come into the US are flown in through Miami.
"In 2013, we brought in 209,000 tons of flowers that's a billion dollar industry into this community," said Emilio Gonzalez, MIA Director.
After countless hours of searching through flowers, inspector Purtell is one of the few women who isn't wishing for a bouquet this weekend.
"No I don't need any flowers. Chocolate. I don't inspect any of that," Purtell said.
So next time you stop to smell the roses, remember there is a whole team of people behind making sure the perfect flowers on Valentine's Day.
