USDA's perishables cold treatment pilot program expands
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) co…The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) cold treatment pilot program that has previously been rolled out in South Florida and in Savannah, Ga., could expand to the Port of Charleston, S.C. Customized Brokers, which specialize in Customs clearance of imported perishable apparel and refrigerated products, said it could begin clearing certain produce requiring cold-treatment from Peru, Uruguay and Argentina into the Port of Charleston as early as this Spring.
Cold treatment is a process whereby perishable fruits have their pulp brought to a certain temperature for a period of time as dictated by phytosanitary authorities in order to fulfill APHIS quarantine requirements for fruits and vegetables entering the U.S.
Once formally implemented, Customized Brokers will be authorized to clear citrus, blueberries and grapes from Peru; blueberries and grapes from Uruguay; and blueberries, apples and pears from Argentina. As with previous implementations, containers that do not pass cold treatment will be prohibited from entering the port and will not be offloaded from vessels. Instead, failed containers will be allowed transit via sea to a Northeastern port for retreatment, or, they will be re-exported to the country of origin.
“We’ve worked diligently with the Florida Perishable Trade Coalition to make the cold-treatment program a reality,” said Nelly Yunta, vice president, Customized Brokers. “Each time the program expands to include another port of entry or an additional commodity, it’s a huge win for consumers looking to have fresh produce on their tables throughout the year.”