The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced it is deregulating Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus in fruit for consumption, balancing protection with market access for growers.
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) was first identified in Israel in 2014 and affects tomatoes and peppers. It primarily occurs in greenhouses and cannot be controlled once it enters a production system. In 2019, APHIS restricted tomato and pepper fruit and plant propagative material imports into the US to prevent the introduction of the virus.
APHIS based its decision to deregulate the fruit imports as a result ofrisk assessments, concluding that ToBRFV is unlikely to reach commercial production areas in the US through fruit brought to market for consumption. The primary risk is via propagative plant materials where APHIS will maintain safeguards for imported and domestic tomato and pepper plant propagative materials (including seeds) to protect against ToBRFV.
As a result, fruit grown at facilities where ToBRFV is detected can still be marketed for consumption instead of being destroyed.
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