The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially approved TOANPHAT Irradiation Plant (TPI) to provide phytosanitary irradiation treatment for fresh fruit exports to the United States using X-ray technology.

Prior to this approval, TPI had already been authorized by APHIS to perform phytosanitary irradiation using gamma technology with a Cobalt-60 source. According to the approved documentation, TPI is now the first facility in Vietnam authorized by APHIS to use both gamma irradiation with Cobalt-60 and X-ray irradiation technologies for the phytosanitary treatment of fresh fruit exported to the U.S. market.

Image 1: APHIS (USDA) has approved the addition of X-ray technology for phytosanitary treatment of fresh fruit exported to the United States at TOANPHAT Irradiation Plant (TPI).

The addition of X-ray technology expands the facility's treatment options while enhancing operational flexibility, particularly during seasonal periods of high export demand.

Post-harvest infrastructure under growing export pressure

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports exceeded USD 8.5 billion in 2025, the highest level ever recorded. Exports to the United States alone reached approximately USD 547 million, representing an increase of more than 50% compared with the previous year.

Data from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) show that during the first ten months of 2025, Vietnam accounted for approximately 1.49% of total U.S. imports of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and processed fruit and vegetable products. These figures indicate that the U.S. market continues to offer considerable growth potential while placing increasingly stringent requirements on product quality, supply capability, and post-harvest infrastructure.

For fresh fruits such as pomelo, mango, dragon fruit, longan, lychee, rambutan, and star apple, phytosanitary irradiation remains a mandatory quarantine requirement before export to the United States.

Image 2: An APHIS quarantine officer conducts phytosanitary inspection procedures for fresh fruit at TOANPHAT Irradiation Plant.

Due to the seasonal nature of fruit production, harvest volumes are often concentrated within relatively short periods. During peak seasons, pressure simultaneously increases across growing areas, packing facilities, cold storage, transportation, quarantine inspection, and particularly irradiation treatment.

Southern Vietnam currently hosts the irradiation facilities participating in the U.S. fresh fruit export program. If treatment capacity cannot keep pace with seasonal production volumes, exporters may face longer waiting times, increased cold storage costs, and potential disruptions to delivery schedules.

Image 3: APHIS specialists evaluating the X-ray system at TOANPHAT Irradiation Plant.

Two technologies provide greater operational flexibility

To obtain APHIS approval for X-ray technology, TPI successfully completed evaluations covering equipment, operating procedures, dose control, shipment identification and protection, as well as other technical requirements established under the U.S. pre-export phytosanitary program.

Operating both technologies provides the facility with greater flexibility in allocating shipments, managing processing capacity, and scheduling treatment operations.

In 2025, TPI processed nearly 5,670 tonnes of fresh fruit exported to the United States using Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation. According to the company, the introduction of X-ray technology has the potential to nearly double the plant's treatment capacity, providing additional capability to accommodate growing export volumes as shipments to the U.S. market continue to increase.

Image 4: Irradiation processing line at TOANPHAT Irradiation Plant.

For exporters, expanding treatment capacity at a single location creates additional opportunities to reduce waiting times while minimizing storage, transportation, and logistics coordination costs. Actual cost savings will depend on shipment volume, treatment configuration, operating schedules, and the logistics arrangements applicable to each individual consignment.

Operating both irradiation technologies also reduces dependence on a single treatment method. When maintenance schedules or capacity adjustments are required, the facility has greater flexibility to optimize processing plans within the scope of its approved technologies and operating configurations.

However, the addition of X-ray technology does not mean that every product or packaging configuration can automatically switch between gamma irradiation using Cobalt-60 and X-ray treatment. Each treatment configuration must continue to comply fully with the technical specifications, irradiation doses, and operational procedures approved by the relevant regulatory authorities.

The competitiveness of Vietnamese fresh fruit is determined not only at the production stage. The efficiency of packing, cold storage, quarantine inspection, post-harvest treatment, and transportation all directly influence delivery schedules and product quality upon arrival in export markets.

APHIS approval of X-ray technology at TPI represents a meaningful enhancement to Vietnam's post-harvest treatment infrastructure supporting fresh fruit exports. The value of this investment ultimately lies in its ability to maintain stable operations, ensure strict compliance with approved phytosanitary procedures, and meet practical treatment demand, thereby enabling exporters to better manage shipment schedules and logistics costs.

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