APHIS Proposes New Generic Irradiation Treatment Option for Most Insect Pests Affecting Imported Fruits & Vegetables, Etc.

Among other things, this proposed rule would: (1) establish a new minimum generic dose of irradiation for most arthropod plant pests; (2) establish a new minimum generic dose for the fruit fly family and also reduce this minimum dose for some of its species; and (3) list an additional nine pests for which irradiation is an approved treatment.

APHIS states that the generic minimum irradiation dose would be available as an option for persons wishing to import fruits and vegetables that are affected by arthropod pests, except pupae and adults of the order Lepidoptera. APHIS sources explain that phylum Arthropodaincludes, among other things, all insects.

Highlights of APHIS Proposed Rule for Treatment of Imported Fruits & Vegetables

The following are highlights of the changes proposed by APHIS with respect to treatments for fruits and vegetables (partial list,see proposed rule for complete details):

Minimum generic dose of irradiation treatment option for most arthropod plant pests. The proposed rule would establish a new treatment option involving a minimum generic dose of irradiation of 400 gray for arthropod plant pests except pupae and adults of the order Lepidoptera. As proposed, irradiation treatment of fruits and vegetables with the proposed minimum dose of 400 gray would have to be conducted in accordance with all the current requirements for dosimetry, packaging, and recordkeeping in 7 CFR 305.31. (See below for discussion of fruit flies and other arthropods, which may be eligible for a lower generic minimum dose of irradiation.)

APHIS states that it is not uncommon that multiple plant pests of quarantine concern are associated with a fruit or vegetable approved for importation into the U.S. and irradiation may be currently listed as an approved treatment for only some of these plant pests. In such cases, the fruit or vegetable must either undergo a different treatment capable of neutralizing all the pests or must undergo multiple treatments to achieve this objective.

According to APHIS, a generic minimum irradiation dose treatment option that is approved to treat a group of plant pests would solve this problem by allowing, in many cases, irradiation to be used as the sole treatment for the pests associated with a particular fruit or vegetable, as long as it could be shown that any quarantine pests identified as being associated with the fruit or vegetable were members of the group of plant pests that were approved for treatment by the generic minimum irradiation dose option.

Generic minimum dose for fruit flies; minimum dose reductions for certain fruit fly species. APHIS explains that although the generic minimum dose proposed above could be used to treat many arthropod plant pests, it is important that required irradiation doses for plant pests be set at the lowest effective level. APHIS cites research demonstrating that all fruit flies of the family Tephritidae would be neutralized by a dose of 150 gray.

Therefore, the proposed rule would add the entire fruit fly family Tephritidae to the list of pests for which irradiation is an approved treatment, and would set the required irradiation dose for those fruit flies at 150 gray.

However, APHIS states that research indicates that the proposed 150 gray generic minimum fruit fly dose would be higher than necessary to neutralize certain fruit flies. Therefore, the following species of fruit fly would have the following generic minimum irradiation doses: (1) 70 gray for the Mexican fruit fly and the Caribbean fruit fly; and (2) 100 gray for the West Indian fruit fly, sapote fruit fly, Jarvis fruit fly, and Queensland fruit fly.

Nine pests added to list of pests for which irradiation is an approved treatment. APHIS is also proposing to add nine plant pests to the list of plant pests for which irradiation is an approved treatment. The proposed rule would add these plant pests and the doses of irradiation necessary to neutralize them. The pests that would be added by this proposed rule are: false red spider mite, green scale, plum curculio, litchi fruit moth, Koa seedworm, sweetpotato weevil, codling moth, oriental fruit moth, and apple maggot. According to a table in the preamble of this proposed rule, many of these nine plant pests would require an irradiation dose of less than 400 gray to be neutralized.

This proposed rule would also make certain amendments with respect to fruits and vegetables moved interstate from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The proposed rule would also amend requirements for regulated articles moved interstate from areas quarantined for Mexican fruit fly or Mediterranean fruit fly.)

APHIS Contact - Inder Gadh (301) 734-6799

APHIS Proposed Rule (D/N 03-077-1, FR Pub 06/10/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-11460.pdf

APHIS Correction to this proposed rule (D/N 03-077-1, FR Pub 06/20/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/C5-11460.pdf