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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 Document

September 21, 2010

Ver. 1

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Agency Contact: marc.phillips@aphis.usda.gov
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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 APHIS recognized fruit fly free areas in Mexico. Mexico proposed to 

treat the fruit with a 150 Gy APHIS-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 APHIS

approved irradiation treatment, APHIS determined that a pest list identifying all quarantine pests 

in Mexico would be sufficient information to evaluate pathway risks. This streamlined approach 

would also meet one of APHIS’ objectives behind the development of a generic irradiation 

treatment for most plant pests. 

APHIS’s Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST) developed a pest list for figs

originating from Mexico (USDA, 2010). CPHST identified six quarantine pests that are likely to 

follow the pathway for this commodity. The pest list was based on published scientific literature 

and pest interception records of the United States Department of Agriculture (Pest ID, 2010). 

Analysis of the pest list for figs from Mexico indicated that the four fruit flies likely to follow the 

pathway would be effectively neutralized1 with the irradiation generic dose of 150 Gy (USDA, 

2006). 

This risk management document outlines the phytosanitary measures that APHIS will require for 

the importation of figs from Mexico, and documents the evidence used by APHIS to conclude 

that these measures will effectively prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the 

continental United States. 

II. Analysis of quarantine pests and mitigation measures required

A. Introduction

The pest list completed by CPHST identified six quarantine pests that could potentially follow 

the pathway of figs from Mexico (USDA, 2010). The quarantine pests include four fruit flies

and two mealybugs 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.
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Table 1. Quarantine arthropod pests likely to follow the pathway of fresh figs imported from 

Mexico into the United States.

Insect Pests 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 Management Measures 

APHIS 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 irradiation is applied outside the United States, each consignment of fruit must be 

inspected jointly by APHIS and Mexico inspectors and accompanied by a Phytosanitary

Certificate (PC) issued by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Mexico

certifying that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment with 150 Gy as the 

minimum absorbed dose. The PC must also include an Additional Declaration (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, each consignment of fruit 

must be inspected by Mexico inspectors prior to departure and accompanied by a PC issued 

by the NPPO of Mexico 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 Concern 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 APHIS regulations (7 CFR § 305.9) to be adequate to neutralize 

all fruit flies. The irradiation treatment, along with standard postharvest processes, will likely

mitigate the risks from all the insects listed above.
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Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) are surface pests, and it 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. Since 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 types 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 

phytosanitary treatment, APHIS and the NPPO of Mexico 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 concern are removed from the pathway.

III. Conclusion

The phytosanitary requirements described above include treatment of figs from Mexico with 

irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy, commercial shipments and phytosanitary

inspections for pests not targeted by the irradiation treatment. Based on the evaluation of 

effectiveness of these measures directed against the pests of concern, APHIS finds that the 

safeguards of 7 CFR § 319.56 and the additional mitigations described herein will result in the 

effective removal of the pests of concern identified by the pest lists for the importation of fresh 

figs from Mexico into the continental United States.

IV. Authors:

Walter P. Gould, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager – Entomology

Jose Hernandez, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager - Plant Pathology

V. References: 

PestID. 2010. Pest Identification Database (PestID). United States Department of Agriculture, 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine. 
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USDA. 2006. USDA 2006. Treatments for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue of 

Federal Register 71(18): 4451-4464.

USDA. 2010. Pest List for the Importation of Fresh Fruit of Common Fig, Ficus carica L., from 

Mexico into the Continental United States. USDA, APHIS, CPHST, 10 pp.