guava

Fresh guava fruit produced in Mexico and treated by doses of irradiation have this week been given the all-clear to enter the US.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cleared the way for the US to import the fruit on 14 October, according to The Packer, with a Mexican source saying that guavas could enter the US 'within weeks'.

Under the new policy, Mexican guavas must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dosage of 400 gray, with each consignment checked by Mexico's national plant protection organisation. Additionally, all shipments must carry a phytosanitary certificate verifying that the fruit has been irradiated and is free of pests.

Guava prices in the US have run in the range of US$2.80 per pound wholesale, Benebion director Arved Deeck told The Packer, and he expected irradiation to add 5 cents per pound to the cost of fruit shipped from Mexico.

Mexico produces approximately 300,000 tonnes of fresh guava per year, with domestic consumption accounting for nearly 100 per cent of production.