> ![](media/image1.jpeg){width="1.117361111111111in" height="1.25in"}
>
> **United States Department of Agriculture**
>
> **Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service**
>
> **Plant Protection and Quarantine**
>
> **Importation of Red Dragon Fruit (Red Pitaya) (*Hylocereus* spp.)
> from Vietnam into the continental United States**
>
> **Risk Management Document**
>
> **April 29, 2008**
>
> **Plant Health Programs (PHP)**
>
> **Commodity Imports Analysis and Operations (CIAO)**
>
> **Contact Person: *Alex Belano***

**A. Introduction**

The Government of Vietnam requested permission to import fresh red
dragon fruit (red pitaya) (*Hylocereus* spp.) into the continental
United States. Red dragon fruit has not been imported from Vietnam
before, so a pest risk assessment (PRA), "*Importation of Red Dragon
Fruit (Red Pitaya) (*Hylocereus *spp.) from Vietnam - A
Pathway-Initiated Risk Assessment*" (USDA, 2007), was conducted by the
United States Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection
Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ) using information
provided by the Vietnamese Government, scientific literature and
previous APHIS commodity risk assessments. Because of red dragon fruit's
morphological similarities and ability to hybridize with other species
of *Hylocereus* and *Cactus,* and because of the unsettled botanical
nomenclature of the hybrid, pests associated with all of the following
species were considered in the risk assessment: *Acanthocereus
occidentalis*, *A. tetragonus* (=*A. colombianus*, *A. floridanus*, *A.
pentagonus*, *A. pitajaya*, *Cactus pentagonus*, *C. pitajaya*, *C.
tetrgonus*, *Cereus pentagonus, C. pitajaya*), *Cereus hildmannianus*
(=*Cactus peruvianus*, *Cereus uruguayanus*), *Echinocereus
conglomerates* (=*C. conglomeratus*), *E. stramineus* (=*C. stramineus*,
*E. enneacanthus* var. *stramineus*), *Escontria chiotilla* (=*C.
chiotilla*), *Hylocereus costaricensis* (=*C. trigonus* var.
*costaricensis*), *H. ocamponis* (=*C. ocamponsi*), *H. polyrhizus*
(=*C. polyrhizus*, *H. lemairei*), *H. undatus* (=*Cactus triangularis,
Cereus triangularis, C. tricostatus, C. trigonus* var. *guatemalensis*,
*C. undatus, H. guatemalensis*, *H. tricostatus*), *Myrtillocactus
geometrizans* (=*C. geometrizans*), *Stenocereus griseus* (=*C.
griseus*), *S. gummosus* (=*C. gummosus*), *S. queretaroensis* (*C.
queretaroensis*), *S. stellatus* (=*C. stellatus*), and *S. thurberi*,
(=*C. thurberi*, *Lemairocereus thurberi, Marshallocereus thurberi*, and
*Pachycereus thurberi*) (USDA, 2007).

The PRA (USDA, 2007) identified **six** quarantine pests that could
follow the pathway of commercial consignments of fresh red dragon fruit
(red pitaya). As described below, three of these pests were rated as
high risk while the remaining, as medium risk.

Pests with **high** risk potential:

> *Bactrocera correcta* (Bezzi) (Diptera: Tephritidae)
>
> *Bactrocera cucurbitae* Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae)
>
> *Bactrocera dorsalis* (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Pests with **medium** risk potential:

> *Dysmicoccus neobrevipes* (Beardsley) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)
>
> *Planococcus lilacinus* (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)
>
> *Planococcus minor (*Maskell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

The APHIS-PPQ commodity pest risk assessment guidelines (USDA, 2000)
state that for pests rated as medium risk, phytosanitary measures beyond
port-of-entry inspection may be required, and for pests rated as high
risk, phytosanitary measures beyond port-of-entry inspection are
strongly recommended. Vietnam has proposed the use of an APHIS approved
irradiation treatment to mitigate risks from these pests.

The proposed importation of red dragon fruit from Vietnam, if approved,
would be regulated by an amendment to the existing fruits and vegetables
Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR § 319.56). This document outlines the
phytosanitary measures that APHIS will require if the proposed
importation of red dragon fruit from Vietnam is approved and documents
the evidence used by APHIS to conclude that these measures will
effectively prevent the introduction of quarantine pests.

**B. Risk Management Measures**

APHIS proposes to allow the importation of the fresh red dragon fruit
(red pitaya) (*Hylocereus* spp.) from Vietnam into the continental
United States under the following conditions:

\(a\) The fruit must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 400
Gy and follow requirements of 7CFR parts 305.31 and 319.56.

\(b\) Each consignment must be inspected jointly by APHIS and the
National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Vietnam and accompanied
by a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by the NPPO stating that the
consignment received (or will receive in the United States provided an
APHIS-approved facility is available) irradiation treatment with 400 Gy
as the minimum absorbed dose.

\(c\) Dragon fruit consignments are subject to inspection at the United
States ports-of-entry.

\(d\) Dragon fruit must be commercially produced and be part of a
commercial consignment as defined in Section 319.56-2.

**C. Historical Performance of Importing Irradiated Fruits**

Current APHIS regulations (7CFR 305.31) allow the use of irradiation to
treat fruit for importation into the United States. Beginning April
2007, India has shipped mangoes to the United States irradiated with a
minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy for insect pests and with a systems
approach for fungal pathogens. To date, over 130 irradiated mango
consignments have been received from India and no pests have been
reported (USDA, 2008). Over 100 consignments of longans, mangoes,
mangosteens, and rambutans, irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of
400 Gy in Thailand, were imported into the United States during 2007 and
2008 with no pests of quarantine significance reported (USDA, 2008).

APHIS regulations (7CFR318.13-4f) allow interstate movement of fifteen
different fruits and vegetables from Hawaii treated with irradiation at
a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy and 400 Gy for fruit flies and other
quarantine pests. No alive pests of quarantine significance have been
intercepted in irradiated Hawaiian fruits or vegetables shipped to the
continental United States (Uyeda, 2005). In addition, consignments of
Australian mangoes irradiated with 150 Gy dose and allowed into New
Zealand since 2004 have also resulted in no pests of concern being
intercepted (Edwards, 2005).

**D. Evidence for the Effective Removal of Pests of Concern from the
Pathway**

The six pests of concern likely to follow the pathway of red dragon
fruit from Vietnam are all insects. Irradiation of fruits and vegetables
with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy is an APHIS approved treatment
for mitigating risks from all insect pests except adults and pupae of
the order Lepidoptera (USDA, 2006). Since none of the quarantine pests
listed above belong to the order Lepidoptera, irradiation with 400 Gy is
considered adequate to mitigate risks from all pests.

The requirement for a PC ensures phytosanitary quality control and rigor
by requiring Vietnamese officials to conduct phytosanitary inspections.
This effectively enforces the inspection the fruit receives.

APHIS regulations require irradiation treatments to be monitored where
applied and the consignment examined for pests of concern by APHIS and
the NPPO of the country of export prior to its shipment as part of
preclearance activities. Although the 400 Gy dose is effective for all
six pests as described above, inspections by the two NPPOs should
further ensure that the pest populations would not reach a level that
may potentially overwhelm the effectiveness of the treatment.

**E. Conclusion**

The phytosanitary requirements described above include treatment of red
dragon fruit from Vietnam with irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose
of 400 Gy and inspections for the pests of concern.

Based on the evaluation of effectiveness of the irradiation measures
directed against the quarantine pests and the additional mitigations
described in this Risk Management Document, APHIS concludes that the
requirements will result in the effective removal from the pathway of
the quarantine pests identified in the PRA for the importation of fresh
red dragon fruit (red pitaya) from Vietnam.

**F. Authors:**

Inder Paul S. Gadh

Senior Risk Manager

paul.gadh@aphis.usda.gov

Alex Belano

Assistant Branch Chief / Import Specialist

alex.belano@aphis.usda.gov

**G. Literature Cited:**

Edwards, G. 2005. Personal Communication from G. Edwards of NZ
Department of Agriculture & Fisheries to Karen Ackerman of USDA, APHIS,
PPQ, Phytosanitary Issues Management, Riverdale, MD.

USDA. 2000. Guidelines for Pathway-Initiated Pest Risk Assessments.
Version 5.02. October 17, 2000.

USDA. 2006. Treatments for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue
of Federal Register 71: 4451-4464

USDA, 2007. Importation of Red Dragon Fruit (Red Pitaya) (*Hylocereus*
spp.) from Vietnam - A Pathway-Initiated Risk Assessment. USDA, APHIS,
PPQ, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology. November 2007.
pp.63

USDA, 2008. Pest Interception Data. USDA APHIS PPQ Plant Health
Programs. Last checked April, 2008.

Uyeda, E. 2005. Personal communication from E. Uyeda, Port Director, US
Department of Agriculture, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Hilo, HI.