07/19/05 India`s wax concerns

07/19/05 India`s wax concerns

The nation of India is in the process of changing a rule that was intended to be a food safety regulation, but according to Mike Willett of the Northwest Horticultural Council, became an unintended trade barrier to U.S. pome fruit. WILLETT: The Indian government passed a regulation that was really focused on attempting to make sure that fruit producers or packers in the country of India used waxes that were indeed food grade. Unfortunately, when they wrote the regulation, it precluded the use of any kind of waxes on both domestic and imported fruits and vegetables and there's been some reaction in the trade in terms of concern in sending apples and pears to that market because virtually everything we send to that market because virtually everything we send to that market has wax on it for product preservation and product quality maintenance. Now the regulation currently has little effect on U.S. pears as it has little share in the Indian market. But for American apples and apples from other nations that have a growing share of India's market, Willett says the no-wax regulation has created some difficulties in getting product in. WILLETT: Some countries and in some ports, their fruit has been slowed or held up for periods of time while issues get sorted out. As a result, the Indian government is reshaping its no-wax regulation to return the focus to address food safety from a domestic standpoint, and allow pome fruit imports in without further hang-ups.
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