Indian mangoes arrive in the USA

[Fat Guy]

The "where can I find Indian mangoes?" topics are starting to pop up in the US regional forums, however I think the overall most interesting thing about these newly arrived mangoes is that they're irradiated.

I'm strongly in favor of irradiation as a food safety technology. I think it's great that these mangoes, previously banned from the US on account of pests, can now be subject to doses of radiation that kill or sterilize those pests without harming the fruit.

Still, I suspect that once the information gets out there and various organizations wake up, there will be a consumer backlash against the irradiated mangoes. I haven't seen one of the mangoes yet, but I'm pretty sure the label says nothing about irradiation, so that sets the producers, importers and retailers of these mangoes up for accusations of deception. Even Madhur Jaffrey's New York Times op-ed celebrating the anticipated arrival of the Indian mangoes on US shores neglects to mention the irradiation issue.

From the USDA news release:

Indian mangoes are the first fruit irradiated at an overseas site and approved for importation into the United States. Irradiation became an approved treatment on all pests for fruits and vegetables entering the United States in 2002. Last year, a generic dose was recognized for a wider range of commodities, including Indian mangoes. The use of irradiation provides an alternative to other pest control methods, such as fumigation, cold and heat treatments.

"This is a significant milestone that paves the way for the future use of irradiation technology to protect against the introduction of plant pests," said Secretary Mike Johanns. "India and the United States began talking about shipping mangoes 17 years ago. Irradiating Indian mangoes safeguards American agriculture while providing additional choices for U.S. consumers in today's global marketplace."

[percyn]

I doubt there will be a backlash from the Indian population....they are eager to purchase these mangoes, even at $35/dozen, which is about 7 times the price you would pay in India.

[jmolinari]

I wish irradiation were used on more foods. Chicken for example. Gone is the fear of undercooked chicken....

Or vegetables....would have avoided all hte E.Coli issues we've had as of late. But ignorance in people will never allow it.