1 **United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service**  **Plant Protection and Quarantine**


# Importation of Fresh Fruit of Common Fig, **Ficus carica**  **L., from Mexico into the Continental United**

**States Risk Management**  **Docu ment** 

September 2 1 , 2010 Ver. 1

**United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service**  **Agency Contact: marc.phi**  **l lips** **@aphis.usda.gov**2

**I.** 

### Executive Summary: The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Mexico requested market access for importation of fresh common fig fruit (Ficus carica) into the United States from Mexico . The commodity

will be imported to the continental United States and Alaska , but not to Hawaii, Guam, or the other U.S. territories. Figs have previously been imported from Mexico into the United States only

from APHI S recognized fruit fly free areas in Mexico. Mexico proposed to treat the fruit with a 150 Gy APHI S - approved generic irradiation treatment that would mitigate risks from fruit flies. Based on the pest information received and the supposition that the fruit would receive an APHI S approved irradiation treatment, APHI S determined that a pest list identifying all quarantine pests in Mexico would be su f

ficient information t o evaluate pathway risks. This streamlined approach would also meet one of APHI S’ objectives behind the development of a generic irradiation treatment for most plant pests. APHI S’ s Center for Plant Health Science an d Technology (CPHST) developed a pest list for fig s originating from Mexico (USDA, 20 1 0) . CPHST identified six quarantine pests that are likely to follow the pathway for th is commodity . The pest list w as based on published scientific literature an d pest interception records of the United St ates Department of Agriculture (Pest ID, 20 1 0) . Analysis of the pest list for figs from Mexico indicated that the four fruit flies likely to follow the pathway would be effectively

neutralized 1 with the irradiation generic dose of 150 Gy (USDA, 2006). This risk management document outlines the phy tosanitary measures that APHI S will require for the importation of fig s from Mexico , and documents the evidence used by APHI S to conclude that these measures will effectively prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the continental United States . **II.** 

### A **nalysis of quarantine**  **pest s**  **and mitigation measures required**  **A. Introduction**  The pest list completed by CPHST identified six quarantine pests that could po tentially follow the pathway

of figs from M exico (USDA, 20 1 0). The quarantine pests include four fruit flies and two mealy

bugs on Mexico figs , and are as follows:

1 A pest is considered neutralized when it is killed, rendered sterile or its further development into becoming an adult is stopped.3

**Table 1.** Q uarantine arthropod pests likely to follow the pathway

of fresh figs imported from Mexico into the United States . **Insect P**  **est s**  **Taxonomy** Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann Diptera: Tephritidae Anastrepha ludens (Loew) Diptera: Tephritidae Anastrepha serpentina (Macquart) Diptera: Tephritidae Ceratitis capitata ( Wiedemann) Diptera:Tephritidae Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae **B. Risk M**  **anagement Measures**  APHI S proposes to allow the importation of the fresh figs from Mexico into the continental United States under the following conditions: (a) The fruit must be commercially produced and be part of a commercial consignment as defined in 7 CFR Section 319.56 - 2. (b) The fruit must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy and follow the requirements of 7 CFR parts 305 and 319. (c) If irradi ation is applied outside the United States, e ach consignment of fruit must be inspected jointly

by APHI S and M exico inspectors and accompanied by a Phy tosanitary C ertificate (PC) issued by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of M exico certifying that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment with 150 Gy as the minimum absorbed dose . The PC must also include an A dditional D eclaration (AD) stating that the consignment was inspected during the pre - clearance activities and found free from Maconellicoccus hirsutus and Nipaecoccus viridis . (d) If irradiation is to be applied upon arrival in the United States, e ach consignment of fruit must be inspected by Mexico inspectors prior to departure and accompanied by a PC issued by the NPPO of Mexi co with an AD stating that the consignment was inspected and found free of Maconellicoccus hirsutus and Nipaecoccus viridis
. (e) Each consignment is subject to inspection at the U . S . ports - of - entry . **C. Evidence for the Effective Removal of Pests of Concer**  **n from the Pathway** (i) Insect Pests: Four of the six pests likely to follow the pathway

are fruit flies. A minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy has been determined by

APHI S regulations ( 7 CFR § 305.9 ) to be adequate to neutralize all fruit flies. The irradi ation treatment , along with standard postharvest processes , will likely mitigate the risks from all the insects listed above.4

M ealy bugs (Pseudococcidae) are surface pests , and i t is expected that commercial shipments with standard quality

control, including culling, will remove most of these pests from the commodity . Inspection of the commodity by the NPPO, with certification that the commodity is free from the specified quarantine pests of concern, will provide adequate mitigation for these pests. S inc e 1985, inspectors at U.S. ports - of - entry have never intercepted these species on commercially

produced figs from fruit fly free areas where market access is currently allowed (PestID, 2010). Irradiation has been used to mitigate pest risk for a number of ty pes of fruits imported from India (mangoes since 2007) and Mexico (mangoes , citrus and other fruits since 2009) , and for fruits moved interstate from Hawaii (papayas and other tropical fruits since 1996) . No pests have been intercepted on any

of these importations to date (Pest ID, 2010). As part of the U.S. requirements (7 CFR § 305.9) governing the use of irradiation as a phy tosanitary treatment, APHI S and the NPPO of M exico must jointly develop an operational work plan (OWP). The work plan shall include details of activities including inspection of articles that the NPPO must perform before the treatment or departure. Inspection of the fruit and freedom from pests not targeted by irradiation as declared on the PC will ensure that all pests of con cern are removed from the pathway . 

### I **II . Conclusion**  The phy tosanitary requirements described above include treatment of figs from M exico with irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy , commercial shipments and phy tosanitary inspections for pests not targeted by the irradiation treatment. B ased on the evaluation of effectiveness of these measures directed against the pests of concern , APHI S finds that the safeguards of 7 CFR § 319.56 and the additional mitigations described here in will result in the effective removal of the pests of concern i dentified by the pest lists for the importation of fresh figs from Mexico into the continental United States . 

### I **V. Author s**  **:** Walter P. Gould , Ph.D. Senior Risk Manager

– Entomology Jose Hernandez, Ph.D. Seni or Risk Manager - Plant Pathology 

### V. **References:** PestID. 20 1 0. Pest I dentification Database (PestID). United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine.5

USDA. 2006. USDA 2006. Treatme nts for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue of Federal Register 71(18): 4451 - 4464 . USDA. 20 1 0. Pest L ist for the Importation of Fresh Fruit of Common Fig, Ficus carica L. , from Mexico into the Continental United States . USDA, APHI S, CPHST, 10 p p.