However, the treatment will have its particularities and a transitory period. Additionally, in this campaign it will not be used on all the imported volumes, due to the time pressure with which it has been approved. In fact, containers with South African oranges have already departed which, as they are already on the way, will not be affected by this step.
The European Commission will demand the countries where Thaumatotibia leucotreta is present (South Africa and Zimbabwe) to carry out a precooling at source of 5 degrees (at the departure port) and a transit treatment (during the shipping) at between -1 and 2 degrees for 25 days.
In 2023, a choice between two options will be allowed: a cold treatment of between -1 and 0 degrees for 16 days or another of between -1 and 2 degrees for 20 days. In both cases, a precooling at 0 degrees and at 2 degrees, respectively, will be required.
This approved cold treatment is not the internationally standardised one that is applied, amongst others, by the authorities in the USA or China.
