SPS Module 2 Logo. SPS Module 2 Logo.
SPS Online.
Principles of the SPS Agreement.
APHIS and the General Approval Process.
Overview.
PPQ, VS and IS.
Other Agencies.
Plants and Plant Products.
Request to Export or Import.
Enterable Commodities.
Denial and Risk Assessment Determination.
Risk Assessment.
Entry with Inspection.
Mitigating Risk.
The Rulemaking Process.
Animals and Animal Products.
Regionalization.
Regionalization Request.
Regionalization Approval.
Risk Classification and Management.
Argentine Beef Example.
Conclusion.
Handouts.
Rulemaking Process.
Request Requirements.
Approval Process.

Plants and Plant Products

Mitigating Risk

Approaches for mitigating risk (achieving quarantine or phytosanitary security in commodities)Most approved commodities are enterable with inspection alone. The PPQ has several options regarding the approaches to recommend for mitigating risk (achieving quarantine or phytosanitary security) for pests in commodities when the risk assessment indicated that inspection alone would not be adequate.

Approaches for mitigating risk include:
  • Post harvest treatments
  • Pest-free areas
  • Systems approaches
  • A variety of specially designed inspection schemes.

We will focus primarily in this module on post harvest treatments, pest-free areas, and systems approaches because they are the ones used most widely at this point.

Post harvest treatments:

This approach to quarantine security has as its objective mortality, sterility, or prevention of maturation of pest organisms. An example of a non-chemical treatment is the hot water dip treatment developed to establish quarantine security for fruit flies in mangoes.

Post harvest treatments may inflict enough damage on some commodities as to make them unmarketable. Other approaches for achieving quarantine or phytosanitary security may then be preferable.

Circumstances for use in post-harvest situations:
  • the host is suitable;
  • the infestation rate is high;
  • the host is easily infested;
  • distribution of pests is uneven; and
  • the pest is internal or difficult to detect.
Typical post harvest treatment methods:
  • Cold or high temperature
  • Hot water
  • Irradiation
  • Fumigation

Pest Free Areas: A viable alternative for exporting countries to address quarantine requirements for the entry of fresh agricultural products in lieu of commodity treatment is to establish and maintain specifically defined areas or regions free of certain pests for a given commodity or group of commodities.

The pest free area (PFA) concept is a risk management option based on a sound pest risk assessment coupled with satisfactory evidence of effective, on-going surveillance and exclusion measures to maintain such areas pest free.

Pest Free Area (PFA) applies where an area:

- has been found completely free of a pest
- is made free through specific actions
- is protected from infestation or re-infestation

The PFA concept applies to situations where a specific area or district of a country has been found completely free of a pest or is made free through specific actions, and is then protected from infestation or re-infestation.

PFA does not imply an absolute absence of all pests, but is aimed at designated commodities from specific geographic areas based on the absence of a specific pest or group of pests.

Pest Free Area Example: The Mossoro area of Brazil (a portion of the state of Ceara) honeydew melons are an approved commodity and therefore has PFA status in relation to a South American fruit fly, Anastropha grandis. Quarantine stations operated by the Government of Brazil are located on the principal roads to restrict the movement of commercial hosts into the fruit fly free area. USDA periodically monitors the fruit fly surveillance and regulatory actions to verify the integrity of PFA status.

In the state of Sonora, Mexico, eleven municipalities are approved for eight types of approved commodities. This area is free of several species of fruit flies and the entry of fruits from other parts of Mexico are required to have a post harvest treatment for those pests.

Systems Approaches:

A systems approach is a set of safeguards and mitigation measures which individually and cumulatively provide a reduction in plant pest risk. These measure can occur in the growing area, at the packinghouse, or during the shipment and distribution of the commodity. Commonly the components of a systems approach include pest survey, trapping and sampling, field treatment, cultural practices, host resistance, post-harvest safeguards, limited harvest period, limited sales distribution, and restrictions on maturity at harvest.

In general, a systems approach has two or more components that are independent, thus creating redundancy. So if one mitigating measure fails, other safeguards exist which still reduce the risk to a negligible level.

An example is the application of a systems approach to achieve a pest free glasshouse. One measure to make sure the host plant within the glasshouse remains uninfested is the selection of screen vents and double doors. However those two safeguards do not provide redundant or independent safeguards. Therefore another independent measure is needed such as pest survey (trapping) in the glasshouse environs. Either the glasshouse safeguards or the pest trapping could fail, but if the other component works the host plant within the glasshouse remains uninfested.

Systems Approach Examples:

Unshu oranges from Japan. This systems approach, designed to prevent citrus canker from entering the United States, requires an established growing area with surrounding buffer zones, field survey, surface treatment, resistant varieties, inspection and limited United States distribution.

Bell peppers from Israel. This systems approach, designed to prevent the introduction of Mediterranean fruit fly, includes growing the peppers within a fly-proof glasshouse, location of the glasshouse in areas where the pest is absent or rare, trapping of the environs, and fly-proof packaging.