In order to continue strengthening the traceability of citrus that can host fruit flies, the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) established that the Quarantine Treatment Centers (CTC) must label the containers that contain fresh citrus fruit that has been subjected to a quarantine treatment with methyl bromide, cold-treatment, or the combination of both, and that have as their final destination the protected areas of Patagonia, and the central and southern oases of the province of Mendoza.
The measure, published in the Official Gazette through Senasa Resolutions 767/2023, establishes that all containers containing treated citrus and exiting a CTC must have a traceability label affixed to one of their visible faces.
The label will be composed of a QR code, so that it can be read with the camera of any cell phone, and will provide information about the production area, the packaging facility that processed the fruit, the day and time the fruit entered the CTC, the treatment it received, and when it was processed. One side of the label will have the authorization number of the treatment center, the date the fruit was treated, a certificate number, and the number of containers that make up the batch.
In this first stage, the labeling will only be for citrus fruits, because they represent the largest volume of entry into protected areas. Gradually, the rest of the products that host the fruit fly, such as peppers, avocados, grapes, quince, etc., will be also have to comply with this labeling.
Strengthening the traceability of these products will allow Senasa respond to response more quickly when facing possible emergencies. It should be noted that the measure will come into force 60 days after its publication in the Official Gazette. Until the aforementioned implementation of the QR labels, the containers will continue to be identified with the labels that are currently in force under Senasa Resolution 496/2023.
Source: argentina.gob.ar
