Spanish apricots allowed into the US

FRESH apricots from Spain are now allowed into the US following changes to the fruit and vegetables regulations.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) says that as a condition of entry, apricots from continental Spain will have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that includes registration of production locations and packing houses, pest monitoring, sanitary practices, chemical and biological controls and phytosanitary treatment.

Consignments will have to be accompanied by a certificate issued by the national plant protection organisation of Spain certifying that the fruit is free from all quarantine pests and has been produced in accordance with the systems approach.