USDA takes risk-based approach to fresh produce imports

USDA takes risk-based approach to fresh produce imports    The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new “risk-based” process for approving imports of certain fruits and vegetables to allow its health officers to better focus on more complex import issues.
   “This new approach will allow us to focus less on administrative processes and more on the science of facilitating imports that do not pose a risk of introducing foreign pests and diseases,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in a statement Tuesday.
   He said the shift to risk-based management for fresh produce imports will also “help expand market access for U.S. agricultural exports as other countries recognize U.S. efforts to encourage trade.”
   The new policy for approving certain fruits and vegetables applies only to commodities that can be imported into the United States subject to one or more of five designated phytosanitary measures. These measures include port-of-entry inspection, approved post-harvest treatment, a phytosanitary certificate verifying that it originated from a pest-free area, a phytosanitary certificate verifying that it’s free from a specified pest or pests or that the risk associated with the commodity can be mitigated through commercial practices.
   “The importation of fruits and vegetables that require additional phytosanitary measures will continue to undergo the full rulemaking process,” the USDA said.
   “The changes in the rule do not alter which fruits and vegetables are currently eligible for importation or how the risks associated with those commodities are evaluated or mitigated,” the department added. “This rule only makes more timely the approval of fruits and vegetables that are safe for importation into the United States.”
   The USDA shares import oversight of fresh produce with the Food and Drug Administration. While USDA’s focus is on plant pests, the FDA ensures that produce imports meets the country’s health and safety standards.
   The USDA will also create a notice-based process for approving pest-free areas in exporting countries. This approach, which is similar to the commodity approval process, allows the department to be more responsive in recognizing changes in the pest-free status of overseas areas.
   For more details about the changes, access: www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/Q56/index.html .