Press Release

Dore Mobley	(301) 734-7255
Jerry Redding	(202) 720-6959

USDA RECALLS INDIAN PINE CONES

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is announcing a national recall on pine cones originating in India. Recent imports of these pine cones have been found to contain serious quarantine pests warranting the removal of these items from store shelves.

The infested pine cones have been found in Frank’s Nursery, K-mart, Target, Walmart, JoAnn Fabrics, Lowe’s, Dollar Tree and Safeway stores nationwide. The recall applies to items with the following UPC codes:

009134052930, 024708084124, 024708122192, 024708152922, 071716018702, 076001708344, 076001708337, 076001708269, 076001708245, 076001708252, 076001707415, 076001707408, 076001707422, 076001708306, 076001708320, 076001708559, 076001708542, 076001708566, 643727307450, 721366827680, 750197869675, and 826214004241.

Similar items that do not bear a listed UPC code are not affected by the recall. Store managers and consumers concerned about possible infestation should check for exit holes in the cone, a sawdust-like material called frass or egg sacs in the crevices between the scales of the pine cones.

Infested pine cones purchased by consumers either singly or in potpourri (bagged or boxed) should either be frozen, or double bagged, tied securely and disposed of in the trash. Frozen products should remain in the freezer for a minimum of 2 days to ensure the pests are killed.

The pests are Chlorophorus strobilicola (Cerambycidae) and a species of genus Cydia (Tortricidae) that is currently being identified. Chlorophorus strobilicola is a wood-boring beetle that feeds on pine cones and is not known to exist in the United States.

As an added precaution to safeguard American agriculture and the environment, APHIS is amending its import requirements to mandate fumigation of Indian origin pine cones prior to entry into the United States. The new fumigation requirements are effective immediately. Pine cones packaged in nonpermeable materials (e.g., plastic) will be refused entry or destroyed, since they cannot be fumigated.

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