Use of Phytosanitary irradiation for domestic trade into fruit fly sensitive markets

This Biosecurity Update provides an overview of best practice for utilising phytosanitary irradiation as an end-point treatment for consigning fruit fly host produce to Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia.

This update is for businesses, such as fruit producers and marketers that have used, currently use or intend to use phytosanitary irradiation for consigning fruit fly host fresh produce to sensitive markets.

Best practice for utilising phytosanitary irradiation treatment

Phytosanitary irradiation can be used as an end-point treatment for fresh produce, as an alternative to Methyl Bromide (MeBr) fumigation or other treatments. Phytosanitary irradiation treatment is broad-spectrum, covering a number of biosecurity threats, including fruit fly.

For fruit fly, this technology uses a minimum dose to sterilise and prevent the early life stages developing into adult flies, disrupting their reproduction. This minimum dose ensures compliance with food safety standards while meeting phytosanitary requirements.

Given this, live fruit fly may still be found on or inside fresh produce that has been treated. As such, an interstate biosecurity authority may still detect live fruit fly larva, and detain the consignment to verify it has been effectively mitigated. Consignments that are heavily infested may result in further action taken by authorities.

To prevent occurrences of intercepted consignments, due to the detection of live fruit larva, businesses are reminded to be diligent and avoid shipping fresh produce to be treated that has an identified or increased risk of fruit fly infestation.

Detection of fruit fly, or any other biosecurity threats found by interstate biosecurity authorities, not only affects the consignment and possible access to market, but it may also have broader impacts on the wider horticulture industry.

Therefore, to ensure market access to fruit fly sensitive markets is maintained, Agriculture Victoria encourages businesses to adopt best practice when utilising the phytosanitary irradiation treatment pathway.

Further information

For further information on this update please email market.access@agriculture.vic.gov.au.