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Vietnamese Dragon Fruit

APHIS approved the importation of precleared, commercial shipments of fresh dragon fruit from Vietnam on July 30, provided certain conditions are met. To ensure that plant pests do not enter the United States though the importation of this commodity, the dragon fruit must be treated with a minimum dose of irradiation (400 gray) prior to export at an APHIS-certified facility. Each shipment must also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Vitetnam with additional declarations certifying that the treatment and inspection of the dragon fruit was made in accordance with APHIS regulations. In addition, inspectors with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection may further inspect precleared commodities at the port of first arrival.

Irradiation became an approved phytosanitary treatment for fruits and vegetables entering the United States in 2002. Vietnam is the third Southeast Asian country to have fruit irradiated at an overseas site and approved for importation into the United States. The use of irradiation provides an alternative to other pest control methods, such as fumigation and cold and heat treatments.

In the News

Oct 23, 2008 First Shipments of Vietnam Dragon Fruit to Arrive in the United States - CORRECTION

Jul 29, 2008 USDA Allows Dragon Fruit from Vietnam Under Streamlined Process

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Last Modified: October 27, 2008

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