 1 Quarantine Requirements fo r the Importation of Fresh 
Mangosteens ( Garcinia mangostana ) from Thailand 
（In case of any discrepancy betwee n the Chinese text and the Eng lish translation 
thereof, the Chinese text shall govern.) 
Promulgated by COA on July 12, 2019. 
 
1. The importation of fresh mangosteens ( Garcinia mangostana ) 
(hereinafter referred to as mangosteens) from Thailand must fol low the 
“Quarantine Requirements for th e Importation of Plants or Plant  
Products into the Republic of China”, as well as the quarantine  
requirements. 
 
2. Requirements for orchards 
2.1 Mangosteens shall be produced from orchards which are registere d 
by the Department of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as “D OA”) 
and the pest control measures a re under the supervision of DOA.  
2.2 DOA shall ensure that records of pest control measure or workin g 
diaries are undertaken and kept by registered orchards. DOA als o 
shall keep orchard registration numbers, name and address of th e 
producers for inspection. The dossier shall be made available t o the 
plant quarantine authority of Taiwan (hereinafter referred to a s 
“BAPHIQ”) upon request, and BAPHIQ may conduct on-site verification. 
 
3. Mangosteens must be treated in va por heat treatment (VHT) facil ities 
approved by DOA and BAPHIQ prior t o the export. VHT commences 
when the core temperature of pulp reaches 46°C or above for at least 58 
minutes, with relative humidity of 90% or above.  
 
4. Requirements for VHT facilities (including packinghouses and co ld 
storage): 
4.1 Facility cleanliness shall be maintained and the facility shall  b e  
sanitized regularly.  24.2 Entrances, exits or doors shall be equipped with insect-proof 
equipment such as downward-facing air curtain, plastic curtains  or 
insect proof apparatus. Windows and air holes at the facilities  must 
be covered with screen and with opening of no larger than 1.6 m m. 
4.3 The entryway to the packing area must be in a dark enclosure an d 
have multiple doors (with  three doors at least).  
4.4 VHT chamber shall be equipped with automatic data loggers 
outside of the chamber to monitor the humidity and the temperat ure 
of the fruits in the chamber. The data loggers shall be able to  print 
the data out. 
4.5 The packing houses shall have an insect sticking board installe d on 
the inside, light-inducing traps or other non-sex pheromone tra ps in 
order to detect any harmful pests.  
DOA must keep records of the name, registration number and addr ess 
of the approved VHT facilities. The registration list must be m ade 
available to BAPHIQ when DOA i nvites BAPHIQ to conduct on-site 
audit.  
5. Prior to the commencement of VHT  operations one year one time, DOA 
shall invite BAPHIQ to jointly perform inspection and conduct verification tests to the VHT f acilities according to the verif ication 
guidelines specified in the attachment. Only the facilities tha t have been 
verified and are compliant can commence with the VHT treatment operation. 
Facilities that have passed inspection but have not conducted t reatments 
to mangosteens for export to Taiwan after three months shall be  verified 
again. 
 
6. Requirements for VHT: 
6.1 DOA and BAPHIQ officers shall jo intly supervise the quarantine 
treatment.  
6.2 At least one fruit temperature sensor shall be installed within  each  3pallet of the chamber. The sensor shall be positioned at the co ldest 
spot according to the outcome of the vapor heat treatment verification test. 
6.3 Temperature sensors shall be inserted into the fruit’s pulp to confirm 
they are able to read the core temperature of the fruits with 
accuracy. 
6.4 Mangosteens for exporting to Taiwan shall not be treated togeth er 
with mangosteens for exporting to other countries which have different quarantine requirements, nor shall they be treated wi th 
other fresh fruits in th e same heat treatment. 
6.5 After the VHT has been completed, fruits with temperature senso rs 
shall be dissected to confirm if the sensor stays at the center  of the 
fruits. If not, the treatment is considered a failure, and the fruits 
shall be treated again. 
 
7. Requirements for mangosteens after completion of VHT: 
7.1 Fruits shall be packed in one  of the following methods: 
7.1.1 Packed by sealed packaging or  packed by sealed carton. If 
packing cartons have ventilation holes, the holes shall be 
covered with screening with ope nings of no larger than 1.6 mm. 
7.1.2 The opening of each sealed cart on shall be sealed by approved 
quarantine labelled card of (The s ize of the card shall be 15 c m 
or more x 5 cm or more) with the word “TREATED-PQ-DOA-THAILAND.”  The card shall not be 
reused and be labelled with seria l number; the label card shall  be 
pasted on the opening of each sealed carton. 
7.2 Fruits shall be transported in o ne of the following methods: 
7.2.1 Packed on pallets. The pallets s hall be closely wrapped on all 
sides and covered with screen w ith openings of no larger than 
1.6 mm to prevent the entry of pests. The openings shall be 
sealed by approved quarantine ta pe labelled with serial numbers . 
The quarantine tape shall not b e used again. The DOA shall  4provide a sample of the sealing ta pe to the BAPHIQ beforehand. 
7.2.2 Packed by sealed container. A numbered seal must be placed on 
loaded container door. The seal  number and the container 
number shall be noted  on the phytosanitary certificate issued b y 
the DOA. 
7.3 Each packed carton or pallet sha ll be clearly marked with the n ame 
of the approved VHT facility or th e registration number along w ith 
the words “To Taiwan”. 
7.4 After the packing has been compl eted, the mangosteens shall be 
stored in a closed facility before being loaded on to the conta iner. 
The fruits shall not be stored with other mangosteens for domes tic 
market or for export to other countries which have different 
quarantine requirements, or with  other varieties of fresh fruit s. The 
shipping container shall not be loaded with other fresh fruits or 
commodities for export to Taiwan. 
 
8. Requirements for export inspection: 
8.1 Inspections shall be conducted in  insect-proof facilities with 
sufficient lighting and equipped  with inspection apparatus and 
inspection table. 
8.2 Inspection shall be conducted to t he same lot of mangosteens tr eated 
in the same VHT facility to ensure  the efficacy of disinfestati on. 
8.3 At least 2% of the random sample of the packed cartons in a giv en 
lot of the consignment shall be inspected. For each sampling ca rton, 
one fruits shall be taken and cut for inspection in every fifty  fruits.  
8.4 Quarantine officers from both the DOA and the BAPHIQ shall 
conduct quarantine inspection jointly to ensure the fruits are free of 
harmful pests. 
8.5 Shall there be a detection of fruit fly larvae or eggs during e xport 
inspection, the larvae or eggs shall be observed under a normal  
environment for 3 hours or 48 hours respectively beginning from  
the time when larvae or eggs wer e detected to determine if they  are  5living organisms. The VHT where pests are intercepted must 
suspend all of its operations dur ing the observation period.   
8.6 Shall there be interception of live fruit flies during inspecti on, all 
fruits of the intercepted lot wh ich underwent the same treatmen t will 
be prohibited for export to T aiwan and export operations of 
mangosteens from Thailand to Tai wan will also be suspended. 
Exports can be resumed after BA PHIQ approves the improvement 
measures made to correct t he cause of interception. 
8.7 If any other harmful pests are in tercepted, that consignment mu st be 
repacked and sampled or treat ed with appropriate quarantine 
treatments prior to the export to disinfest or mitigate the pes ts of 
quarantine concern.  
8.8 Mangosteens that have passed export inspection but are not 
exported within fourteen days must be re-inspected according to  
these requirements and re-issued with a phytosanitary certifica te 
before the exportation. 
 
9. Mangosteens which pass the export inspection shall be accompani ed 
with a phytosanitary certificate issued by DOA with the followi ng 
additional declarations, and also  endorsed by a BAPHIQ inspecto r: 
9.1 Name or registration number of the VHT facility, serial number of 
the quarantine tape, containe r number and seal number. 
9.2 Date of VHT, treatment tempera ture and treatment duration. 
9.3 Stating that mangosteens have been inspected and found free of  
carambola fruit flies （Bactrocera carambolae ）and papaya fruit flies
（Bactrocera papayae  Drew & Hancock ）and other quarantine pests 
of Taiwan.  
10. Import inspection 
10.1 Procedures, methods and sampling methods for import inspection 
shall follow Taiwan’s “Enforcement Rules on The Plant Protectio n 
and Quarantine Act” and othe r quarantine regulations.  610.2 Mangosteens that have not met with  these quarantine requirement s 
will be rejected from entry, and  will be re-shipped or destroye d. 
10.3 Shall fruit fly larvae or eggs be intercepted during import 
inspection, the larvae or eggs shall be observed under a room 
temperature environment for 3 hours or 48 hours respectively to  
determine if larvae or eggs are  alive. The BAPHIQ shall notify 
DOA of the interception immediately. The VHT facility that 
performed the treatment shall suspend all of its operations dur ing 
the observation period. 
10.4 If live fruit flies are intercep ted during import inspection, t he 
intercepted consignment will be rejected from entry, and will b e 
re-shipped or destroyed. BAPHIQ  shall notify DOA immediately 
to suspend the export of mangosteens to Taiwan. Export will be 
resumed only after the cause of infestation is clarified, and BAPHIQ approves and verifies the  improvement measures that 
have been taken. 
10.5 Fresh mangosteens from those suspended production sites 
(prefectures) that have passed export inspection and obtained a  
phytosanitary certificate prior to the suspension date shall be  
loaded on board traveling to Taiwan within three days and under go 
stricter import inspection. 
10.6 Shall pests other than fruit f lies be intercepted during import  
inspection, quarantine measures  will be taken in accordance wit h 
relevant quaran tine regulations. 
 
11. Guidelines for BAPHIQ inspectors to conduct on-site verificatio n and 
inspection in Thailand: 
11.1 Standard working hours will be from 8:30 to 17:30 each day from  
Monday to Friday. 
11.2 Shall overtime work be required,  DOA shall consult with the 
on-site BAPHIQ inspector 24 hours in advance of the overtime 
work. Overtime working hours are listed below:  711.2.1  Normal working days overtime starts from 17:30 and shall not 
exceed 21:30.  
11.2.2  Weekends or public holiday (Taiwan) overtime starts from 8:30 
and shall not exceed 21:30. 
11.3 Shall overtime be required bey ond the aforementioned timeframe,  
the request shall be agreed by a BAPHIQ inspector before 
overtime is commenced.  
11.4 An interpreter shall be made ava ilable when a BAPHIQ inspector 
is on duty. 
 
12. Requirements for on-site ver ification and inspection: 
12.1 Two months prior to each mangosteens export season, DOA shall 
provide the details on the numbe r of inspectors required, perio d of 
visit, estimated quantity of mangosteens to be exported to Taiw an 
and the lists of orchards and VHT facility registrations and th eir 
locations (including address and marked the locations on map), 
along with a formal letter of invitation to BAPHIQ for dispatch ing 
the inspectors. 
12.2 BAPHIQ will dispatch inspectors to Thailand based on the 
aforementioned details to conduct verification of the VHT facilities and export inspection with DOA officers jointly. If the 
visit program requires 45 days, BAPHIQ can take turns to dispat ch 
its inspectors, BAPHIQ can take turns to dispatch its inspector s.  
12.3 All costs including logistics, per diem, overtime charge, incid ental 
expenses, insurance, interpretation and visa fees associated wi th 
BAPHIQ conducting the on-site verif ication visit shall be borne  by 
Thailand.  
  8Appendix 
Guidelines for the Verification of Vapor Heat Treatment (VHT) F acilities 
 1. BAPHIQ and DOA shall check the vapor heat treatment facilities 
(including packinghouses and cold storage) have met with these quarantine requirements before  conducting the verification. 
2. Procedures for the calibration of  temperature sensors are as fo llows: 
2.1. Temperature sensors must be calibrated in a water bath equipped  
with a standard thermometer. The thermometer must be calibrated by an accreditated organization each year. The 
calibration certificate must be kept available for BAPHIQ 
inspector. 
2.2. Submerge temperature sensors in the water bath with water 
temperature maintained at 46°C or  47°C. Once the temperature is  
stabilized, start recording the temperature every 5 minutes for  
five consecutive readings. The fruit’s temperature sensors shal l 
be accurate to ± 0.1°C. 
2.3. If any three out of the five sensor measurement readings are th e 
same, that temperature reading will be used to calibrate the 
automatic data loggers. 
2.4. Any temperature sensor showing a reading outside the testing 
range or over a variation ± 0.3°C must be replaced. If five 
temperature readings were all di fferent, the sensor must also b e 
replaced. 
2.5. DOA must take appropriate measu res to prevent temperature and 
humidity records from being falsified. 
2.6. The record of temperature sensor shall be provided on a monthly  
basis once the VHT facility c ommences the operation. 
 
3. Procedures for empty chamber testing in the VHT facility are as  
follows:  
3.1. Load maximum quantity of empty boxes possible to the empty 
chamber.   93.2. Place the automatic temperature sensors in the empty boxes that  
are closest to the vapor heat outlet. If there are multiple pal lets in 
the chamber, temperature sensors  shall be placed on every palle t. 
3.3. The chamber shall be heated until all the temperature sensors 
have reached and maintained at 46°C or above with humidity confirmed at 90% or above in the chamber.  
3.4. All temperature sensors must be confirmed to read 46°C or 
above for 40 minutes. The tem perature readings must be 
recorded or printed every 5 minutes. 
3.5. If there are multiple pallets in the chamber, all the temperatu re 
sensors positioned on the pallets must reach 46°C with a relati ve 
humidity of 90% or above during empty chamber testing. The 
record of temperature sensor shall be provided, and each record  
shall fall within a range of ±4 °C between all the sensors.  
4. Procedures for the cold spot tes t in the VHT facility are as fo llows:  
4.1. Testing shall be conduc ted to one-third of all pallets in the 
chamber depending on the temperat ure deviation in the empty 
chamber testing and locations. 
4.2. When conducting cold spot testing, the pallets that have been 
selected for cold spot testing must be loaded with filler fruit s. 
The rest of the pallets shall be loaded with empty boxes. The pallet fans shall be switched on. 
4.3. VHT treatment pallets must be l oaded with a maximum number 
of fruits that are permitted in a  commercial shipment for expor t 
in the cold spot test. 
4.4. The size of the fruits inserted with the sensors for the core s pot 
test shall be the biggest fruits  in each pallet. All the test f ruits 
shall be hard and at a similar weight. 
4.5. Temperature sensors shall be inserted into the fruits’ core and  
positioned on the top, middle and bottom of each pallet of fill er 
fruits and at each of the four corners. Each pallet shall be se t up 
with 15 fruit temperature sensors. Cold spot test can be  10conducted separately to each pa llet. The test conditions for co ld 
spot test must be the same as the actual treatment conditions f or a 
commercial shipment. Only the fruits that have been treated and  
met with the quarantine requi rements are permitted to be 
exported. 
4.6. Fruits undergo VHT to bring the fruits’ core temperature to the  
required treatment temperature o f 46°C and maintained for at 
least 58 minutes. The automatic data loggers shall record the temperature every 5 minutes. 
4.7. After the cold spot testing has been completed, fruits with 
temperature sensors shall be di ssected to confirm whether the 
sensor stays at the center of the fruits if the difference of 
temperature between each sensor is too large. If not, the test shall 
be conducted again. 
4.8. During the test, the cold spot i s determined as the spot where the 
sensor reaches 46°C at the latest. 
4.9. Temperature sensors shall be pla ced at the cold spots according  
to the cold spot test resu lt for commercial operations. 
 
 