United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Amend PPQ Treatment Manual to Add a New Cold 

Treatment for Fresh ‘Barhi’ Dates (Phoenix dactylifera)

Treatment Evaluation Document (TED)

Date: November 29, 2011

Treatments, Pests, Commodities and Countries

New Treatment/ 

Revision/Deletion 

Treatment Type Target Pests Commodity 

Applicable

Country(ies) of 

origin

New Treatment Cold Treatment (3) Mediterranean 

fruit fly (Ceratitis 

capitata)

‘Barhi’ 

Dates

All 

Objective: To provide supporting information and justification for changes being 

proposed to phytosanitary treatments in the PPQ Treatment Manual. The change, which 

will facilitate trade of fresh Barhi variety dates (Phoenix dactylifera) from 

countries/areas infested with Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), is being made 

because new data demonstrate the efficacy of the treatment against C. capitata on ‘Barhi’ 

dates. 

Overview: Currently APHIS does not permit the use of cold treatment as a phtysanitary

treatment for Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) in fresh dates. Israel is seeking 

market access for their ‘Barhi’ dates and has submitted research information in support of 

cold treatment of Medfly in this commodity (Gazit 2008). 

Evaluation: APHIS evaluated these data and has recommended regulatory approval of 

new treatments based on the data. The evaluation and recommendation for approval is as 

follows.

Addition of cold treatments for fresh dates for Mediterranean fruit fly 

Based on the data submitted by Gazit (2008) in Israel dates, we accept and propose the 

following three treatment schedules to cold treat fresh ‘Barhi’ dates for Mediterranean 
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fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata):

 14 days at 1.11 degrees Centigrade or below (or 34 degrees Fahrenheit or 

below), or

 16 days at 1.67 degrees Centigrade or below (or 35 degrees Fahrenheit or 

below), or

 18 days at 2.22 degrees Centigrade or below (or 36 degrees Fahrenheit or 

below)

The above three treatment options are similar to those of T107-a, which is an APHIS 

approved treatment against both Mediterranean fruit fly and Natal fruit fly (Ceratitis 

rosa) for a number of fruits but not for dates. 

But since the data submitted by Gazit (2008) reflect treatment efficacy only against 

Mediterranean fruit fly, and we are not aware of any data outlining the efficacy of the 

proposed cold treatment against the Natal fruit fly in dates, therefore, for dates, the 

above treatment is recommended only for Mediterranean fruit fly and not Natal fruit 

fly at this time. This means a new schedule for Mediterranean fruit fly in ‘Barhi’ 

dates alone is required to be added to the treatment manual. 

Other conditions as described in 7CFR305.6 also apply.

Decision: Amend PPQ Treatment Manual to add the above proposed treatment for 

fresh ‘Barhi’ dates for Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata).
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Author: 

Inder Paul S. Gadh, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager – Treatments

USDA APHIS PPQ PHP

References:

Gazit, Y. 2008. Cold tolerance of the Mediterranean fruit fly in dates and in mandarin.

Technical Report.