Irradiation Treatment

Fresh fruits and vegetables that are admissible into the United States may require quarantine treatment prior to being allowed into the United States.  Irradiation is considered a viable phytosanitary treatment option for mitigating against certain quarantine significant pests.  Articles become eligible for entry and treatment, provided they have been approved for importation into the United States via the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) market access process and regulation amendment. Market access begins with the Plant Protection Organization of the foreign country petitioning APHIS and is concluded after all quarantine pests are identified, their risks assessed and mitigations or phytosanitary treatments are identified.

Irradiation treatments may be conducted in foreign countries under an established APHIS preclearance program, or conducted at a USDA APHIS-PPQ Certified Treatment Irradiation Facility in the United States.

For more information on the process of importing admissible product for domestic irradiation at an USDA APHIS-PPQ Certified Treatment Irradiation Facility in the United States, see the following applicable section: 

Having your commodity treated with Irradiation within the United States

• Step by step guidelines for importing mangoes into the United States from Pakistan
• Overland Movement Transit Safeguards
• Sample Pallet Specifications for each shipment of Pakistan Mangoes into the United States
  

For more information on the process of using irradiation at approved foreign localities overseas, under an established APHIS preclearance program: 

Having your commodity treated with Irradiation within the United States

Telephone: 877-770-5990

Last Modified: May 16, 2012