Country: United States

Title: Recall of Various Products Containing Pine Cones from India

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APHIS inspectors have made numerous detections of two significant quarantine pests, Chlorophorus strobilicola (Cerambycidae) and Cydia sp. (Tortricidae) in pine cones imported from India. The infested pine cones have been found in a number of different stores throughout the United States in a number of different products, including potpourri mixes and holiday decorations. 

In response, APHIS has taken the following actions: 
• Issued a national recall of all products found to be infested using UPC codes as the basis of identifying products for recall;
• Invoked emergency restrictions, requiring mandatory fumigation with methyl bromide for all pine cones from India entering U.S. Ports of Entry. Products packaged in impermeable wrappers will be refused entry unless they are removed from packaging to allow effective treatment; and 
• Issued Emergency Action Notifications to stores and importers to ensure that known infested material is moved out of commerce and is destroyed or treated. 

APHIS will also continue to: 
• Conduct investigations of importers and distributors and marketplace inspections to identify additional products with Indian pine cones and 
• Contact the National Plant Protection Organization of India to identify exporters of pine cones to encourage compliance. 

In coordination with APHIS, recalled product can be destroyed by incineration or deep landfill. APHIS supervised fumigation may be an option if APHIS determines that an effective treatment is possible, based on the packaging and state of the product. 

We continue to appreciate the cooperation of State officials in locating any remaining infested products in the marketplace. Please advise consumers who contact you on this issue to destroy live insects detected with pine cones in commercial products. If they have any doubts about whether a product they purchased is involved in the recall, we encourage them to “double-bag” and dispose of it as household trash. 

A stakeholder announcement and press release is available on the APHIS website. This site will also include the list of UPC codes of the products that have been recalled. Because this is an ongoing investigation we expect that UPC codes of additional products will be added to our list in the future. We welcome cooperation and communication with State Plant Regulatory Officials on this issue. 
 

Posted Date: Dec. 12, 2003, 9 a.m.