Mexican pitayas (dragonfruit) and pomegranates could soon be on their way to the US market, after the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) approved imports of the two fruits.
In a notice, published on 13 August, the agency awarded immediate access for Mexican pitaya and pomegranate imports in to the US market provided they undergo approved phytosantiary measures, including irradiation.
“Based on the findings of pest risk analyses […] we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh pitayas and pomegranates from Mexico,” USDA-APHIS said.
The decision follows an announcement by USDA back in August 2011, which decreed that the fruits could be safely shipped to the US as long as they are irradiated first.
The two fruits are subject to the following phytosanitary measures:
• Fresh pitayas and pomegranates may be imported in commercial consignments only.
• The fruit must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy.
• If the irradiation treatment is applied outside the US, each consignment of fruit must be jointly inspected by APHIS and Mexican quarantine officials and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate (PC) attesting that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment.
• If the irradiation treatment is applied upon arrival in the US, each consignment of fruit must be inspected by Mexican quarantine officials prior to departure. For consignments of pitayas, the inspection must include a sampling procedure mutually agreed upon by APHIS and Mexican quarantine officials.
• The PC for consignments of pitayas or pomegranates must also include an additional declaration stating that the consignment was inspected and found free from quarantine pests.
• The commodity is subject to inspection at the US ports of entry.
USDA-APHIS said the conditions for entry will be listed in its Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements database.
