Food processors implement differing food safety and quality assurance standards and guidelines. This may result in variable performance of the food safety management systems (PSMS) due to differences in technological development, resource access and food safety legal frameworks. The aim of this study was to posed by the context in which they operate was assessed. An PsMs was used evaluate thirteen fresh produce exporting processors based on indicators and descriptive context factors, control and assurance activities and food safety output. Riskiness in context was diag- nosed either as low risk, moderate risk or high risk Performance of control and assurance activities was categorized as conducted. basic average or advanced. Food safety output was scored as either not moderate Majority of the processors (27) operate at moderate level in most the coatext in- dicators. of material to microbial Seven out of the 13 processors indicated that susceptibility o initial companies had posed the highest risk with respect product characteristics Even though majonty there advanced level core control activities performance for 6 out of 29 the activities, was a moderate in of e activities and 24k control activities were not applied. Core assurance activities for majority of the companies also performed moderately in 89t of the indicators performance was poor for 53x and good for 37x of the processors. Al the processors had advanced scores for monitoring of pesticide residues but tive lacked sampling and subsequent criteria for microbial analysis. The PSMs implementation for 77x of the companies was poor to moderate and, given the moderate context riskiness, this therefore resulted in moderate FSM5 output The mostly moderate FSMs activity levels when assessed in the context riskiness lower the food safety performance of the fresh produce sector Several recommended control and assurance activities in fresh produce sector should be improved to advanced levels in order to realize a stable and predictable safety output subject to the riskiness of context situation,