A facility in Tay Ninh has just become the first factory in Vietnam approved by the US to simultaneously utilize two irradiation technologies, Gamma and X-ray, to treat fresh fruits exported to this market.

This is viewed as an important step forward for post-harvest infrastructure against a backdrop where fruit and vegetable exports grow rapidly and the demand for phytosanitary treatment is increasingly large.

The US approves X-ray technology, untying difficulties for exported fruits

According to the announcement from APHIS, Toan Phat Irradiation Factory (TPI) has officially become eligible to treat fresh fruits exported to the US using X-ray technology. Previously, this facility had been licensed by the US side to utilize Gamma irradiation technology via a Cobalt-60 source. With the new decision, TPI becomes the first facility in Vietnam approved to operate in parallel two irradiation technologies serving phytosanitary work for fresh fruits exported into the US market.

This information has also been notified to enterprises by the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) after receiving the approval document from APHIS. Accordingly, enterprises must continue to fully comply with the Irradiation Operational Plan between Vietnam and the United States, while concurrently executing strictly regulations on packaging, preservation, traceability, dossier management, and coordinating with quarantine officers of both countries during the export goods treatment process.

The addition of X-ray technology does not merely expand choices regarding treatment technology but also helps the factory increase operational flexibility, particularly during peak harvest phases when the volume of exported fruits rises sharply. To be approved by APHIS, the enterprise underwent a comprehensive evaluation process regarding equipment, operational procedures, dose control, shipment identification and protection, as well as the technical requirements of the pre-export quarantine program.

According to TPI, in 2025, the factory treated nearly 5,670 tons of fresh fruits exported to the US using Gamma technology. When bringing the additional X-ray system into exploitation, the factory's treatment capacity is projected to be able to nearly double, generating additional room to receive goods against a backdrop where fruit exports to the US continue to grow.

However, the enterprise also noted that the addition of X-ray technology does not mean every fruit type or packaging specification can switch flexibly between the two methods. Each product must still satisfy full technical requirements, irradiation doses, and control protocols approved by competent authorities.

More favorable for exporting fruits into a demanding market

The enhancement of additional treatment capacity takes place against a backdrop where Vietnam's vegetable and fruit exports are maintaining a powerful growth momentum. According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, vegetable and fruit export turnover in 2025 reached over 8.5 billion USD, the highest level from before until now. The US market alone reached around 547 million USD, up more than 50% compared to the previous year.

However, according to data from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC), in the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam merely occupied around 1.49% of the US's total import turnover for the vegetables, fruits, and processed products group, demonstrating that the room to expand market shares remains very large.

For many core fruits of Vietnam such as mangoes, pomelos, dragon fruits, longans, lychees, rambutan, and star apples, irradiation is a mandatory phytosanitary requirement before being permitted for import into the US market. Meanwhile, due to crop seasonal characteristics, output volumes usually concentrate within short periods, creating major pressure on the entire post-harvest logistics chain, from packaging, cold storage, transportation, and quarantine to the irradiation treatment stage.

According to industry experts, the Southern region currently concentrates the majority of facilities participating in the irradiation program for fruits exported to the US. When treatment capacity fails to keep pace with the upward speed of output volume during peak seasons, exporting enterprises may have to extend waiting times, incurring cold storage demurrage costs and affecting delivery progress. A similar situation previously occurred with testing activities for exported durians over the past time when the restricted number of testing establishments caused purchasing to stall and agricultural product prices to drop sharply.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, argued that the count of testing establishments and infrastructure serving export currently has not yet caught up with the growth speed of the sector. Investing in a facility achieving standards recognized by both Vietnam and the importing country demands massive costs and long timeframes, making this field not yet attractive to many investors.

The representative of TPI stated that operating simultaneously two irradiation technologies will help the enterprise be more proactive in allocating capacity and adjusting equipment maintenance schedules while still maintaining goods treatment activities. Concurrently, the increased treatment capacity can contribute to shortening waiting times, reducing cold storage, transportation, and goods coordination costs for exporting enterprises. Even so, actual efficiency still relies on output volumes at each specific time, operational plans, as well as the logistics arrangements of each individual shipment.

Source: Bao dien tu Dan tri