Commercial adoption of generic phytosanitary irradiation protocols

Generic irradiation treatments were first used on a limited scale to export fruit from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland in 2000. In 2006, USDA APHIS approved generic doses of 150 Gy for any tephritid fruit flies and 400 Gy for any other insects (except pupae and adults of Lepidoptera). The generic radiation treatments apply to all horticultural commodities. Traditionally quarantine treatments were developed for one pest and commodity at a time, so this first-ever approval of a generic quarantine treatment was a huge leap forward. The availability of a generic irradiation treatment opened a new export market for Hawaii's unique purple-fleshed sweet potato. Hawaii sweet potato acreage nearly double the first year after the treatment was approved, and last year 7 million lbs of sweet potato were exported from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. Generic irradiation protocols have allowed the rapid approval of new crops for export, and Hawaii now has approvals for 18 fruits and 6 vegetables using irradiation. India, Thailand, Vietnam and Mexico have also started exporting fruits to the U.S. using these protocols.