United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Interstate Movement of Fresh Fruit of Achachairú (Garcinia 

gardneriana) into the Continental United States 

from Puerto Rico

Risk Management Document

November 26, 2013

Plant Health Programs (PHP)

Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM)

Contact Person: Dave Lamb
Introduction

In response to a request from a grower of Garcinia gardneriana in Puerto Rico to move fresh 

fruit of Garcinia gardneriana interstate from Puerto Rico to the continental United States, the 

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) prepared a pest risk assessment (PRA) (USDA, 2012). 

The PRA document, ‘Importation of Fresh Fruit of Achachairú (Garcinia gardneriana) into the 

Continental United States from Puerto Rico’ identified one insect pest that may follow the 

commodity pathway of fresh Achachairú fruit from Puerto Rico (USDA, 2013). The red wax 

scale, Ceroplastes rubens Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccidae) was determined in PRA as potentially

able to follow the pathway of Garcinia gardneriana fruit from Puerto Rico. The PRA concluded 

that Ceroplastes rubens has Medium Pest Risk Potential. 

Risk Management Measures

The following risk management measures must be followed for Garcinia gardneriana from 

Puerto Rico to be moved interstate into the continental United States:

 Garcinia gardneriana fruit must be transported interstate as commercial consignments 

only.

 Each consignment of Garcinia gardneriana fruit must be inspected in pre-departure 

clearance for pests by APHIS-PPQ prior to shipment from Puerto Rico to the continental 

United States. 

Conclusion

APHIS believes that the phytosanitary measures proposed in this document will result in the 

effective removal of any potential quarantine pests associated with the interstate movement of 

fresh Garcinia gardneriana from Puerto Rico into the continental United States. The PRA 

identified only one pest of Garcinia gardneriana that was likely to follow the pathway and 

therefore be candidates for risk management (USDA, 2013). Commercially produced fruit are 

grown and packed to meet quality levels that allow them to be marketed for sale. Commercially

produced fruit are less likely than other fruit to have pests or other phytosanitary issues. 

Interceptions of pests in commercial fruit versus passenger baggage indicate that noncommercially produced fruit has a much higher risk of carrying pests (AQAS, 2013). Inspection 

is considered effective at finding external feeding pests or accidental hitchhikers and excluding 

infested shipments from entering commerce (Cavey, 2003; Wittenberg and Cock, 2001). 

Garcinia gardneriana will undergo inspection by APHIS PPQ in pre-departure clearance which 

will allow rejection of any consignments which may be infested by Ceroplastes rubens or other 

quarantine pests.
3

References:

AQAS. 2013. Agricultural Quarantine Activity System Pest Interception Database. USDAAPHIS-PPQ. Last accessed Sept. 2013.

Cavey, J.F. 2003. Mitigating introduction of invasive plant pests: the APHIS-PPQ Mission. 

From: Chapter 13, pp. 350-361 in Ruiz, G.M and J.T. Carlton. 2003. Invasive species: vectors 

and management strategies. Island Press, Washington, D.C. 518 pp.

USDA. 2012. Guidelines for Plant Pest Risk Assessment of Imported Fruit and Vegetable 

Commodities (First Edition). United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Raleigh, NC.

. 

USDA. 2013. Importation of Fresh Fruit of Achachairú (Garcinia gardneriana) into the 

Continental United States from Puerto Rico. A Qualitative, Pathway-Initiated Pest Risk 

Assessment. November 21, 2013. Version 2. USDA, APHIS, CPHST, PERAL, Raleigh, NC. 

12 pp.

Wittenberg, R. and M.J.W. Cock. 2001. Invasive Alien Species: A toolkit of best prevention 

and management practices. CABI publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK. 228 

pp.

Author

Walter P. Gould

Senior Risk Manager