6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  1 B. Quarantine Requirements for Enterable Plants or Plant 
Products under Precautionary Requirements  
2.Quarantine requirements for the importation of “Prohibited 
Plants or Plant Products” verified and approved by the 
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and 
Quarantine of the Council of Agriculture, the Executive 
Yuan.  
 
 
 
 16. Fresh fruits 
of the 
following 
plants： 
(1) dragon fruits 
(Hylocereus 
undatus ) 
 Asia and 
Pacific  
Region  
Viet Nam  Guava fruit fly  
(Bactrocera  
correcta (Bezz i
)) The importation of fresh 
dragon fru its from Viet 
Nam  shall  comply with the 
“Quarantine Requirements 
for the Importation of Fresh  
Dragon Fruits ( Hylocereus 
undatus ) from Viet Nam ”  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  2 Draft Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Fresh  
Dragon Fruits  (Hylocereus undatus ) from Viet Nam  
 
 
1. The importation of fresh dragon fruits  (Hylocereus undatus ) (hereinafter 
referred to as dragon fruits ) from Viet Nam  must follow the “Quarantine 
Requirements for the Importation of Plants or Plant Products into the 
Republic of China” , as wel l as the quarantine requirements.  
 
2. Requirements for orchards  
2.1 Dragon fruits  should be produced from orchards  which are 
registered by the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of 
Agriculture & Rural Development (hereinafter referred to as 
“PPD”) and the pes t control measures are under the supervision of 
PPD.  
2.2 PPD shall  keep records of pest control measures undertaken by the 
registered orchards  or work diaries, along with orchard registration 
numbers,  name  and address of the producer  for inspection . The 
dossie r should be made available to the plant quarantine authority  of 
Taiwan (herei nafter referred to as “BAPHIQ”) upon request , and 
BAPHIQ may conduct on -site verification . 
 
3. Dragon fruits  must be treated in vapor  heat treatment  (VHT)  facilities 
approved by PPD  and BAPHIQ prior to the export. VHT commences 
when the core temperature  of pulp reaches 46.8 °C or above  for at least 
40 minutes , with relative humidity of 90% or  above. Fruits  shall  be 
cooled after the treatment by  cold water for 10 minutes followed  by 
forced-air cooling to bring the fruits  temperature back to room 
temperature .  
 
4. Requirements for VHT  facilities (including pack inghouses and cold  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  3 storage ): 
4.1 Facili ty cleanliness shall be maintained and the facility shall be 
sanitized  regularly.  
4.2 Entrances , exi ts or doors shall be equippe d with insect -proof 
equipment  such as  downward -facing air curtain,  plastic  curtains  or 
insect proof  apparatus . Windows and air holes at the facilities must 
be covered with screen  and with opening of no larger than 1.6 mm . 
4.3 The entryway to the packing area must be in  a dark enclosure and 
have multiple doors (with three doors at least).  
4.4 VHT chamber shall be equipped with automatic data loggers  
outside of the chamber  to monitor the humidity  and the temperature 
of the fruits  in th e chamber . The data loggers shall be able to print  
the data out. 
4.5 The packing houses should  have an  insect sticking board  installed 
on the inside , light -inducing trap s or other non -sex pheromone trap s 
in order  to detect any harmful pests .  
PPD must keep rec ords of the name, registration number and address of 
the approved VHT  facilities. The registration list must be made 
available to BAPHIQ when PPD invites BAPHIQ to conduct on -site 
audit.  
 
5. Prior to the commencement of VHT  operations  each year, PPD should 
invite BAPHIQ to jointly perform inspection and conduct verification 
tests to the VHT  facilities acco rding to the verification guidelines  
specified in the attachment . Only t he facilities that have been verified 
and are compliant  can commence with the VHT tr eatment operation.  
Facilitie s that have passed inspection but have conduct ed treatments to 
dragon  fruits  for export to Taiwan after one month  should be verified 
again . 
 
6. Requirements for VHT :  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  4 6.1 PPD and BAPHIQ office rs should jointly supervise the quarantine 
treatment.  
6.2 At least one fruit temperature sensor should be instal led within each 
pallet  of the chamber. The sensor shall  be positioned at the coldest 
spot according to the outcome of the vapor  heat treatment 
verification test.  
6.3 Temperature sensors shall be  inserted into the fruit’s pulp to confirm 
they are able to read  the core temperature  of the fruits  with 
accuracy . 
6.4 Dragon fruits  for export to Taiwan shall not be treated together with 
dragon fruits  for export to other countries , nor shall they  be treated 
with other fresh fruits  in the same heat treatment.  
6.5 After the VHT  has been completed, fruits  with temperature sensors 
should be dissected to confirm if the sensor stays at the center of the 
fruits . If not, the treatment is considered a failure , and the fru its 
should be treated again.  
 
7. Requirements for dragon fruits  after completion of VHT : 
7.1 Fruits  shall  be packed in one of the following methods:  
7.1.1 Packed by sealed pack aging or packed by sealed carton. If 
packing cartons have ventilation  holes, the holes shoul d be 
covered with screening with opening s of no larger than 1.6 mm.  
7.1.2 The opening of each sealed carton should be sealed by approved 
quarantine tape labelled with serial n umbers. The quarantine 
tape shall not to be used again.  The PPD shall  provide a sample 
of the quarantine tape to  the BAPHIQ beforehand.  
7.2 Fruits  shall  be transported  in one of the following methods:  
7.2.1 Packed on pallets. The pallets should be closely wrapped on all 
sides and covered with screening with opening s of no larger 
than 1.6 mm  to prevent  the entry of pests. The opening s should 
be sealed by approved quarantine tape labelled with serial  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  5 numbers. The quarantine tape shall not be used again . The PPD 
should provide a sample of the seal ing tape to the BAPHIQ 
beforehand.  
7.2.2 Packed by sealed contai ner. A numbered seal must be placed on 
loaded container door. The seal number and the container 
number should be noted on the phytosanitary certificate issued 
by the PPD.  
7.3 Each packed carton or pallet should be clearly marked with the 
name of the approved  VHT facility or the registration number along 
with the words “To Taiwan”.  
7.4 After  the packing  has been completed, the dragon fruits  shall  be 
stored in a closed facility before being loaded on  to the container. 
The fruits  should not be stored with other dragon  fruits  for domestic 
marke t or for export to other countries , or with other varieties of 
fresh fruits . The shipping container should not be loaded with other 
fresh fruits  or commodities for export to Taiwan.  
 
8. Requirements for export inspection:  
8.1 Inspectio ns shall be conducted in insect -proof  facilit ies with 
sufficient lighting  and equipped with inspection apparatus and 
inspection table.  
8.2 Inspection shall  be conducted to  the same lot of  dragon fruits  treated 
in the same VHT facility to ensure the  efficacy of  disinfestation.  
8.3 At least 5% of the random sample of the packed cartons in a given 
lot of the consignment will be inspected. For each sampling carton, 
three fruits  will be taken and cut  for inspection.  
8.4 Quarantine officers from both the PPD and the BAPHIQ should 
conduct quarantine inspection jointly to ensure the fruits  are free of 
harmful pests.  
8.5 Should there be a detection of fruit fly larvae or eggs during export 
inspection, the larvae  or eggs should be observed under a normal  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  6 environment for 3 hours and 48 hours respectively beginning from 
when larvae or eggs  were detected to determine if they  are living 
organisms . The VHT  where pests are intercepted must suspend all 
of its operations during the observation period.   
8.6 Should there be interception of live fruit flies during inspection, all 
fruits  of the intercepted lot which under went  the same treatment will 
be prohibited for export to Taiwan and  export operations of dragon 
fruits  from Viet Nam  to Taiwan will also be suspended . Exports  can 
be resumed after B APHIQ approves the improvement measures 
made  to correct the cause of interception . 
8.7 If any other harmful pests are intercepted, that consignment must be 
treated with appropriate quarantine treatment  prior to the export  to 
disinfest or mitigate the pests of quarantine concern.  
8.8 Dragon fruits  that have passed export inspectio n but are not 
exported within 7  days must be re -inspected according to these 
requirements and re -issue d with  a phytosanitary certificate before 
the export ation . 
 
9. Dragon fruits  which pass the export inspection should be accompanied  
with a phytosanitary certificate issued by PPD with the following 
additional declarations, and also endorsed by  a BAPHIQ inspector:  
9.1 Name or registration number of the VHT  facility , serial number of 
the quarantine  tape, container number and seal number.  
9.2 Date of VHT , treatment temperature and  treatment  duration.  
9.3 Stating that dragon fruits  have been inspected and found free of 
guava fruits  fly and other pests designated by BAPHIQ.  
 
10. Import inspection  
10.1 Procedures, meth ods and sampling  methods  for import inspection 
shall follow  Taiwan’s  Enforcement Rules on The Plant Protection 
and Quarantine Act and other quarantine regulations.   
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  7 10.2 Dragon fruits  that have not met with these quarantine requirements 
will be rejected from ent ry, and will be re-shipped  or destroyed . 
10.3 Should fruit fly larvae or eggs  be intercepted  during import 
inspection, the larvae or eggs  should  be observed  under a room 
temperature  environment for 3 hours and 48 hours  respectively  to 
determine if larvae or egg s are alive . The BAPHIQ should notify 
PPD of the interception immediately. The VHT facility that 
performed the treatment should suspend all of its operations during 
the observation period.  
10.4 If live fruit flies are intercepted during import inspection, the 
intercepted consignment will be rejected  from entry , and will be  
re-shipped  or destroyed. BAPHIQ should notify PPD immediately 
to suspend the export of dragon fruits  to Taiwan. Export will be 
resumed only after the cause of infestation is clarified , and 
BAP HIQ approves and verifies the improvement measures that 
have been taken.  
10.5 Fresh dragon fruits  from th ose suspended production sites 
(prefectures) that have passed export inspection and obtain ed a 
phytosanitary certificate  prior to the suspension date shall be 
loaded on board traveling to Taiwan within 3 days and undergo 
stricter import inspection.  
10.6 Should  pests other than fruit flies b e intercepted during import 
inspection, quarantine measures  will be taken in accordance with 
relevant quarantine regulations . 
 
11. Guidelines for BAPHIQ inspectors to conduct on -site verification  and 
inspection in Viet Nam : 
11.1 Standard w orking hours will be  from 8:30 to 17:30 each day from 
Monday to Friday.  
11.2 Should overtime  work  be required, PPD should consult with  the 
on-site BAPHIQ in spector 24 hours in advance of the o vertime   
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  8 work . Overtime  working hours  are listed below:  
11.2.1  Normal working days  overtime  starts from 17:30 and should not 
exceed  21:30.  
11.2.2  Weekends  or public holiday  (Taiwan ) overtime  starts from 8:30 
and should not exceed 2 1:30. 
11.3 Should overtime be required beyond  the aforementioned 
timeframe, the request shall be agreed  by a BAPHIQ inspector 
before  overtime is commence d.  
11.4 An i nterpreter should be made available when a BAPHIQ 
inspector is  on duty . 
 
12. Requirements for on -site verification  and inspection : 
12.1 Two months prior to each dragon fruits  export season, PPD should 
provide the details o n the  number of inspector s required, period of 
visit, estimated quantity of dragon fruits  to be export ed to Taiwan 
and the lists of orchards and VHT  facility registrations and their 
locations, along with a formal letter of invitation to BAPHIQ for 
dispatching the inspectors . 
12.2 BAPHIQ will dispatch inspectors to Viet Nam  based on  the 
aforementioned details to conduct verification of the VHT  
facilities  and export inspection with PPD officers jointly. If the 
visit program take s more than a month, BAPHIQ can take turns to 
dispatch its inspectors .  
12.3 All costs including logistics, per diem , overtime  charge , incidental 
expenses , insurance, interpretation and visa fees associated with 
BAPHIQ conducting the on -site verification visit should be borne 
by Viet Nam .  
  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  9 Appendix  
Guidelines  for the Verification of Vapor  Heat Treatment  (VHT)  Facilities  
 
1. The BAPHIQ and PPD should c heck  the vapor  heat treatment 
faciliti es (including  packinghouses and cold storage ) have met with 
these quarantine requirements before conducting the verification.  
2. Procedures for the calibration of temperature sensors are as follows : 
2.1. Temperature sensors must be calibrated in a water bath equip ped 
with a standard psychrometer . The psychrometer must be 
calibrated by a n accreditated  organization in Viet Nam  each year. 
The calibration certificate must be kept available for the 
BAPHIQ  inspector . 
2.2. Submerge temperature sensors in the water bath with wa ter 
temperature maintained at 46.8°C. Once the temperature is 
stabilized, start recording the temperature every 5 minutes for 
five consecutive readings. The f ruit’s temperature sensors should 
be accurate to ± 0.1°C.  
2.3. If any three out of the five sensor meas urement  readings are of 
the same, that temperature reading  will be used  to calibrate the 
automatic data loggers.  
2.4. Any temperature sensor showing  a reading  outside the testing  
range or over a variation ± 0.3°C must be replaced.  If five 
temperature readings were all different, the sensor must also be 
replaced.  
2.5. PPD must take appropriate measures to prevent temperature and 
humidity records from  being  falsified . 
2.6. Automatic temperature data loggers must be calibrated regularly 
on a monthly basis once the VHT  facili ty commences the  
operation.  
 
3. Procedures for empty chamber testing in  the VHT facility  are as 
follows :  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  10 3.1. Load  maximum  quantity of empty boxes possible to the empty 
chamber.  
3.2. Place  the automatic temperature sensors  in the empty boxes that 
are closest to the vapor heat outlet . If there are multiple pallets in 
the chamber , temperature sensor s should be placed on every 
pallet.  
3.3. The chamber should be heated until a ll the temperature sensors  
have  reach ed and maintain ed at 46.8 °C or above with humidity 
confirmed at 9 0% or above in the chamber.  
3.4. All temperature sensors must be confirmed to read  46.8°C or 
above for 40 minutes. The temperature readings must be 
recorded or printed every 5 minutes . 
3.5. If there are multiple pallets in the chamber, all the temperature 
sensors p ositioned on the pallets must reach 46.8°C with a 
relative humidity of 90% or above du ring empty chamber testing.  
The readings of automatic data loggers should fall within a range  
of ±4°C  between all the sensors . 
 
4. Procedures for the cold spot test in the V HT facility  are as follows : 
4.1. Testing should be conducted to all the pallets.  
4.2. When conducting cold spot testing, the pallets that have been 
selected for cold spot testing must be loaded with filler fruits . 
The rest of the pallets sh ould be loaded with empty boxes. The 
pallet fans should be switched  on. 
4.3. VHT treatment chamber must be loaded with a maximum 
number of fruits  that are permitted in a commercial shipment for 
export in the cold spot test . 
4.4. The size of the t est fruits  should be the bigge r fruits in each  
pallet . All the test fruits  should  be hard and at a similar weight.  
4.5. Temperature sensors should be inserted into the fruits ’ core and 
positioned on the top, middle and bottom of each palle t of filler  
 
6/18/2015 9:42 AM  For Viet Nam  11 fruits  and at each of the four corners. Each pallet shou ld be set up 
with 15 fruit temper ature sensors. Cold spot test  can be 
conducted separately to each pallet . The test conditions for cold 
spot test must be the same as the actual treatment conditions for a 
commercial shipment . Only the fruits  that have  been treated and 
met with the quarantine requirements are permitted to be 
export ed. 
4.6. Fruit s undergo VHT  to bring the fruits ’ core temperature  to the 
required treatment temperature of 46.8°C and maintain ed for at 
least 40 minutes.  The automatic data loggers shoul d record the 
temperature every 5 minutes.  
4.7. After the cold spot testing has been completed, fruits  with 
temperature sensors should be dissected to confir m if the sensor 
stays  at the center of the  fruits . If not, the test should be 
conducted again.  
4.8. During the  test, t he cold spot is determined as the spot where  the 
sensor reaches  46.8°C at the latest.  
4.9. Temperature sensor s should be placed at the cold spot s according 
to the cold spot test  result for commercial operations.