USDA: Hold the Hawaiian tomatoes please

USDA: Hold the Hawaiian tomatoes please The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said vapor heat treatment is not approved for the movement of Hawaiian grown bell peppers, eggplant, Italian squash and tomatoes to the U.S. mainland.
   The agency said the treatment is insufficient for killing the solanum fruit fly. However, the agency will allow the interstate movement of Hawaiian peppers and squash, if they're first irradiated.
   In 2004, Hawaii produced about $15.4 million worth of eggplant, green peppers, Italian squash, Oriental squash, and tomatoes, amounting to about 52 million pounds. None of the eggplant, green peppers, Italian squash and tomatoes produced in Hawaii were shipped to the U.S. mainland in 2004.
   The Hawaii Department of Agriculture further noted that none of these commodities have been shipped from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland in the past two years.