TÂY NINH — The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has approved Toàn Phát Irradiation Plant (TPI) in Tây Ninh Province to use both gamma and X-ray irradiation technologies to treat fresh fruit for export to the US.

The approval makes TPI the first facility in Việt Nam authorised to operate both irradiation technologies for the US market. It had previously been certified to use gamma irradiation with a Cobalt-60 source.

Operating both systems will improve processing flexibility, enable better capacity allocation and help maintain operations during peak export seasons, said Đặng Phúc Nguyên, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit).

Irradiation is a mandatory quarantine treatment for many Vietnamese fruits exported to the US, including mangoes, dragon fruit, pomelos, longans, lychees, rambutans and star apples. Processing capacity is therefore critical to ensuring timely deliveries and meeting export demand.

To obtain approval for the X-ray system, TPI underwent a comprehensive assessment by APHIS covering its equipment, operating procedures, dose control system and cargo management under the US pre-clearance programme.

Vương Hiếu, general director of Toàn Phát Irradiation Co., said the dual-technology system would allow the company to select the most suitable treatment for different products and maintain operations when one system was under maintenance or processing demand surges.

The plant processed nearly 5,670 tonnes of fruit exports to the US using gamma irradiation last year. With the X-ray system now approved, its processing capacity is expected to nearly double, enabling it to handle larger export volumes during peak seasons.

Việt Nam's fruit and vegetable exports reached a record US$8.5 billion last year, including about $547 million to the US, reported Vinafruit.

However, Việt Nam accounted for only 1.49 per cent of total US imports of fruit, vegetables and processed products, according to the US International Trade Commission, suggesting significant room for further market expansion. — VNS