APHIS Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine August 2010

Questions and 

Answers: Importing 

Irradiated Mangoes 

from Pakistan into 

the United States

Q. When did APHIS announce it would allow 

mango imports from Pakistan?

A. On August 27, 2010, the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) published in the Federal 

Register a notice announcing our decision to issue 

permits to allow, under certain conditions, the 

importation of commercial consignments of fresh 

mangoes from Pakistan into the continental United 

States.

Q. What are the requirements for exporting 

mangoes from Pakistan to the United States?

A. Mangoes must be grown at a registered orchard 

and packed at a registered packing facility in Pakistan. 

Before being exported, the mangoes are inspected 

for quarantine pests by an officer of the National Plant 

Protection Organization (NPPO) of Pakistan. APHIS 

defi nes a quarantine pest as a plant pest or noxious 

weed that is of potential economic importance and 

that is either not yet present in the United States, or 

is present but not widely distributed and is under an 

official control program. 

 Fruit must be packed in APHIS-approved, 

pest-proof boxes with all openings in the packages 

covered by material with holes no more than 0.8 mm 

at its widest point or with a mesh size of no greater 

than 0.6 by 0.6 mm.

 Commercial consignments that are certifi ed are 

irradiated at 400 gray and must be accompanied by a 

phytosanitary certifi cate.

Q. Where are the irradiation treatments applied?

A. Irradiation treatments may be applied at an APHIScertifi ed facility outside of the United States or upon 

arrival in the United States. 

 If irradiation is to be applied upon arrival in the 

United States, each consignment of mangoes must be 

inspected by inspectors from the NPPO of Pakistan 

prior to departure and accompanied by a phytosanitary 

certifi cate issued by the NPPO of Pakistan. The 

phytosanitary certifi cate must contain an additional 

declaration that states: “This consignment was 

inspected by the Government of Pakistan inspectors 

and found free of Xanthomonas campestris pv. 

mangiferaeindicae.” In addition, each pallet in the 

consignment must be conspicuously marked with a 

8-1/2- by 11-inch sign on at least two sides of the pallet 

that says, “FRUIT FOR IRRADIATION IN THE U.S.”

 Fruit that is to be treated upon arrival in the 

United States is limited to importation as air freight 

commercial cargo directly to designated ports of entry 

and must follow a specifi c transport route from the 

port to an APHIS-approved irradiation facility. This is 

to maintain safeguarding and prevent the accidental 

introduction or dissemination of foreign plant pests 

during transit.

 If irradiation is applied outside of the United States, 

each consignment of mangoes must be inspected 

jointly by NPPO of Pakistan and APHIS inspectors and 

accompanied by a phytosanitary certifi cate issued by 

NPPO of Pakistan. The phytosanitary certifi cate must 

document that the consignment received the required 

irradiation treatment. The phytosanitary certifi cate 

must also contain an additional declaration that states: 

“This consignment was inspected jointly by APHIS and 

Government of Pakistan inspectors, and found free of 

Xanthomonas campestris pv. mangiferaeindicae.” 

Q. What happens when my consignment arrives in 

the United States?

A. When a consignment arrives at a U.S. port of entry, 

Customs Border Protection (CBP) officers will verify 

documents accompanying the consignment to ensure 

it was properly treated and inspected. 

 If the consignment was treated outside the United 

States, CBP officers will review the: 

• PPQ Form 203—Foreign Site Certifi cate of 

Inspection—signed by an APHIS officer in the 

exporting country; 

• Phytosanitary certifi cate, issued by Pakistan’s 

NPPO to certify that the consignment has been 

treated; and

• APHIS import permit, verifying that the 

consignment has been authorized by USDA to be 

imported into the United States. 

 If the consignment will be treated within the United 

States, CBP officers will review the:

• Phytosanitary certifi cate, issued by the country of 

origin’s NPPO to certify that the consignment has 

been inspected;
• APHIS import permit, verifying that the 

consignment has been authorized by USDA to be 

imported into the United States for treatment; and

• Signed APHIS importer compliance agreement, 

which must be signed 30 days prior to shipping.

 If these entry requirements are not met, the 

consignment will be prohibited entry. 

Q. What permits are required to import mangoes 

from Pakistan into the United States?

A. An importer compliance agreement must be signed 

and issued prior to submitting a permit application. In 

addition, importers must apply for a permit at least 60 

days in advance, as permits are required to be issued 

and in place 30 days prior to shipment. Importers 

should submit a permit application to APHIS’ Plant 

Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program at: Permit 

Services, USDA-APHIS-PPQ, 4700 River Road, Unit 

133, Riverdale, MD 20737. The permit application 

form is available online at www.aphis.usda.gov/

plant_health/permits/plantproducts.shtml or by calling 

(301) 734-0841. 

 Importers can also apply for and receive permits 

online through APHIS’ ePermits system. This system 

is a Web-based tool that allows importers to apply for 

a permit, check its status, and view it on the Internet. 

The ePermits system also enables Federal regulatory 

officials to issue, track, and rapidly verify the validity of 

import permits. The system minimizes the time it takes 

to complete permit applications, process the data, and 

issue permits. 

 First-time applicants should note the ePermits 

system requires users to fi rst be verifi ed by 

eAuthentication. eAuthentication is a registration 

process that enables customers to access USDA 

Web applications and services via the Internet. To 

learn more about ePermits, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/

permits/learn_epermits.shtml.

Q. Are there any other requirements to import 

mangoes from Pakistan?

A. Yes. Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 

305.9 (c) requires importers and irradiation facility 

operators to sign a compliance agreement with APHIS 

to ensure chain of custody and maintain appropriate 

safeguards during importation. In addition to USDA 

requirements, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

and Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) 

CBP regulations apply. For information about FDA’s 

requirements, please e-mail industry@fda.gov. For 

more information about CBP’s requirements, please 

call the CBP INFO Center at 1-877-CBP-5511.

 Importers may also contact an international 

customs broker to assist with inspection and shipping 

logistics as well as various agency approvals. A list of 

customs brokers is available by State on the CBP Web 

site at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/ports/.

Q. Can I carry fresh mangoes from Pakistan to the 

United States on my next fl ight?

A. No. The rule only applies to commercial 

consignments of mangoes. Individuals traveling to the 

United States cannot bring mangoes from Pakistan, 

even if they have been treated, in their personal 

baggage. The mangoes must enter the United States 

via commercial channels (air or ship) where quarantine 

security can be assured. Boxes of mangoes leaving 

that chain of custody are prohibited entry into the 

United States.

Q. Can I send mangoes from Pakistan to the 

United States through the mail?

A. No. As stated above, mangoes can only be 

commercially shipped to the United States. The fruit 

must be sent directly from the country of origin via 

commercial conveyance (air or ship) directly to the 

United States. This ensures a strict chain of custody 

in the event the imported fruit shows signs of pest 

infestation.

Q. Why haven’t mangoes from Pakistan been 

allowed into the United States until now?

A. APHIS approved the use of irradiation as a 

quarantine treatment for fruits and vegetables in 

October 2002. Then, in January 2006, APHIS 

published another rule approving a minimum generic 

dose (400 gray) of irradiation for imported fruits and 

vegetables. Until the availability of this generic dose, 

certain pests associated with the mangoes could 

not be mitigated with any other APHIS-approved 

treatments. 

 After this treatment became available, APHIS 

received a request from the Government of 

Pakistan to allow the importation of fresh mangoes 

into the continental United States. APHIS then 

conducted a pest risk analysis to identify pests 

of quarantine significance and phytosanitary 

measures that could be used to mitigate the 

risk of introducing or disseminating these pests 

into the United States. Based on this analysis, 

APHIS concluded that irradiation, along with other 

safeguarding measures, can be used to safely 

import mangoes from Pakistan into the United 

States.

Q. What is food irradiation?

A. Irradiation involves briefl y exposing food to ionizing 

energy for a specifi c length of time in order to destroy 

or sterilize bacteria, microorganisms, or other pests 

of concern. Food is irradiated in a special processing 

facility and never comes in direct contact with the 

energy source. It is important to note that irradiation 

does not necessarily kill the pest; it will however 

sterilize it, rendering it incapable of reproducing or 

emerging from a host to an adult. Thus, there may 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national 

origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, 

familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic 

information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. 

(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should 

contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

To fi le a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office 

of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 

20250–9410, or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 

(TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

be instances where you will see insects on your fruit; 

however, if they’ve been treated, they are not harmful 

to you or the fruit. 

Q. How does the irradiation process affect the 

pests?

A. The energy waves produced during the irradiation 

process physically breaks the molecular structure of 

the pests’ DNA, killing or sterilizing them. However, 

at specifi ed doses, the structure of the atom is not 

affected. 

Q. Is it safe to eat irradiated fruits and/or 

vegetables?

A. Yes. The FDA has evaluated the safety of this 

technology over the last 40 years and has found 

irradiation to be safe under a variety of conditions 

and has therefore approved its use for many foods. 

The agency determined that the process is safe and 

effective in decreasing or eliminating harmful bacteria, 

insects, and parasites. In certain fruits and vegetables 

it inhibits sprouting and delays ripening, which allows 

for a longer shelf life.

 Food irradiation is currently used in more than 50 

countries to control plant pests and is approved by 

the World Health Organization, the American Medical 

Association, and many other organizations around the 

world. Although food irradiation has been in existence 

since the 1950s, scientists have just recently begun 

focusing on its ability to control harmful pests and 

diseases associated with fruits and vegetables. 

Q. How do I know if my food has been irradiated?

A. The FDA requires that irradiated foods include 

labeling with either the statement, “treated with 

irradiation” or “treated by irradiation” along with the 

international symbol for irradiation, called the Radura. 

Q. Where can I fi nd out more information on this 

subject?

A. To learn more about imports of mangoes from 

Pakistan into the United States, please visit the APHIS 

Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/

plant_imports/domestic-irradiation/PakistanMango/.