Brazil seeks to export irradiated fruits to U.S.
Brazil seeks to export irradiated fruits to U.S.
If approved by U.S. authorities, irradiated fruits from Brazil would be economical to ship, since the irradiation benefit of longer shelf life means that shippers could use sea freight rather than more costly air transportation.
George Karski, president of Securefoods Inc., a food irradiation company, is setting up food irradiators in Brazil to treat papayas and mangos for the U.S. market. Despite being a top producer of fruits and vegetables, Brazil's post- harvest losses are significant because of insect infestation and rot, he said.
The New Hampshire firm, formed in 2001 by Brazilian Resources Inc., is hoping to extend shelf life for papayas by replacing hot water dips with cobalt irradiation processes for produce shipped to North America and Europe. Brazilian Resources reached an agreement in last February to purchase five irradiators from New Jersey-based Gray*Star Inc.
In Brazil, the fruit is picked early to correspond with the water treatment technique, but processing the fruit with irradiators located near growing areas could delay harvest time, slow the ripening process and allow better quality fruit to be shipped by sea, said Mr. Karski.
Even so, Brazil has yet to publish final regulations that would clear the way for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sign a framework equivalency work plan. Three countries -- India, Mexico and Thailand -- have already signed one.
"It's up to Brazil to act," said Paul Gadh of the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.
One of the requirements is that a commodity-trading country has regulations in place before a framework agreement can be approved. Brazil recently published draft regulations. It must also have an operational work plan, a compliance agreement with the facility operator and a trust fund agreement. The USDA also requires that importers certify irradiation facilities, protect non-treated fruit and maintain records for at least a year.
The two-year process with Brazil has taken longer than expected, Mr. Gadh said.
Last year, the USDA sought public comment on the decision to allow Thailand to export six fruits to the United States, a move that Florida and Hawaii producers strongly oppose.
Under the rule, Thailand could import litchi, longan, mango, mangosteen, pineapple and rambutan shipped with a phytosanitary certificate saying the fruits had been irradiated.
Calvin Oda of Maui Pineapple Co. Inc. said that Hawaiian pineapple production has dropped 18 percent from 2003 -- a number likely to increase with news that Del Monte is closing its Hawaiian operation. The pineapple industry is already struggling to compete with imports from Latin America, which have increased 46 percent since 2003.
Mr. Oda called on USDA to reject irradiated Thai fruits and to measure the financial blow the decision would have on the U.S. industry.
"The introduction of low-quality, irradiated pineapple may damage the market for Hawaiian pineapples as the consumer may not differentiate pineapples based on the country of origin, especially if the product is not labeled appropriately," Mr. Oda said.
Eric Weinert, owner of CW Hawaii Pride LLC, an irradiation facility that has treated over 300 million pounds of tropical fruit destined for the U.S. mainland, said that USDA inspectors should be on site in Thailand to monitor treatments.
"The Japanese insist on Japanese inspectors in Hawaii to monitor papaya shipments to Japan, and we too should insist on American inspectors in Thailand to monitor irradiation treatments," he said.
Members of Congress have also weighed in. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) told the USDA that the proposal should be scrapped because of inaccuracies in the economic and pest management analyses, or at the very least USDA should bar irradiated Thai fruit from being exported to Hawaii and other states where pests could harm tropical fruits.
George Karski, president of Securefoods Inc., a food irradiation company, is setting up food irradiators in Brazil to treat papayas and mangos for the U.S. market. Despite being a top producer of fruits and vegetables, Brazil's post- harvest losses are significant because of insect infestation and rot, he said.
The New Hampshire firm, formed in 2001 by Brazilian Resources Inc., is hoping to extend shelf life for papayas by replacing hot water dips with cobalt irradiation processes for produce shipped to North America and Europe. Brazilian Resources reached an agreement in last February to purchase five irradiators from New Jersey-based Gray*Star Inc.
In Brazil, the fruit is picked early to correspond with the water treatment technique, but processing the fruit with irradiators located near growing areas could delay harvest time, slow the ripening process and allow better quality fruit to be shipped by sea, said Mr. Karski.
Even so, Brazil has yet to publish final regulations that would clear the way for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sign a framework equivalency work plan. Three countries -- India, Mexico and Thailand -- have already signed one.
"It's up to Brazil to act," said Paul Gadh of the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.
One of the requirements is that a commodity-trading country has regulations in place before a framework agreement can be approved. Brazil recently published draft regulations. It must also have an operational work plan, a compliance agreement with the facility operator and a trust fund agreement. The USDA also requires that importers certify irradiation facilities, protect non-treated fruit and maintain records for at least a year.
The two-year process with Brazil has taken longer than expected, Mr. Gadh said.
Last year, the USDA sought public comment on the decision to allow Thailand to export six fruits to the United States, a move that Florida and Hawaii producers strongly oppose.
Under the rule, Thailand could import litchi, longan, mango, mangosteen, pineapple and rambutan shipped with a phytosanitary certificate saying the fruits had been irradiated.
Calvin Oda of Maui Pineapple Co. Inc. said that Hawaiian pineapple production has dropped 18 percent from 2003 -- a number likely to increase with news that Del Monte is closing its Hawaiian operation. The pineapple industry is already struggling to compete with imports from Latin America, which have increased 46 percent since 2003.
Mr. Oda called on USDA to reject irradiated Thai fruits and to measure the financial blow the decision would have on the U.S. industry.
"The introduction of low-quality, irradiated pineapple may damage the market for Hawaiian pineapples as the consumer may not differentiate pineapples based on the country of origin, especially if the product is not labeled appropriately," Mr. Oda said.
Eric Weinert, owner of CW Hawaii Pride LLC, an irradiation facility that has treated over 300 million pounds of tropical fruit destined for the U.S. mainland, said that USDA inspectors should be on site in Thailand to monitor treatments.
"The Japanese insist on Japanese inspectors in Hawaii to monitor papaya shipments to Japan, and we too should insist on American inspectors in Thailand to monitor irradiation treatments," he said.
Members of Congress have also weighed in. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) told the USDA that the proposal should be scrapped because of inaccuracies in the economic and pest management analyses, or at the very least USDA should bar irradiated Thai fruit from being exported to Hawaii and other states where pests could harm tropical fruits.
