U.S. Bans Import of Spanish Clementines

The U.S. Department of Agriculture halted imports of clementine citrus fruit from Spain because live Mediterranean fruit fly larvae have been found in stores in California, Louisiana, Maryland and North Carolina.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service indefinitely banned the sale and distribution of the Spanish clementines in states where the pest could survive.

They include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Live larvae were discovered in a repackaged box of clementines at a San Jose retail outlet.