USDA Proposes Irradiation of Some Imports

May 26, 2000

USDA has proposed irradiation of imported fruits and vegetables to control fruit flies. The department considers irradiation as "an alternative" to the currently approved treatments that include fumigation, cold and heat treatments and greenhouse growing.

In its Federal Register notice, USDA said, "It is important that the (irradiation) dose be set at the lowest effective level for regulatory, economic and product quality reasons." Also, safeguards "are necessary to ensure that articles are not accidentally or intentionally presented as properly irradiated when they have not been."

At least 38 countries have approved irradiation of more than 40 food groups of related foods, USDA noted. In Europe, more than 28 billion pounds of food are irradiated each year. The World Health Organization, the International Plant Protection Convention and the North American Plant Protection Organization have endorsed the technology as effective and safe to control plant pests, USDA said.