PISTACHIO EXPORT AFLATOXIN REPORTING (PEAR) PROGRAM

The PEAR program was developed cooperatively by the Administrative Committee for Pistachios, USDA- Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA–Science and Technology, and USDA-Specialty Crops Inspection at the request of European Union regulatory authorities to provide a more robust and auditable pre-export aflatoxin testing program for pistachios intended to export to European Union member states.  The program manual for the current (2023-2024) crop year is available here.

The PEAR program includes setting a shipping tolerance that equals or is more restrictive than the EU aflatoxin tolerance depending on crop year, sampling by the pistachio handler, testing in USDA-approved analytical laboratories, and auditing of the shipping process by USDA-Specialty Crop Inspection.

The PEAR program was inaugurated with the 2018 crop and a list of the signatory handlers/exporters can be found here.  Because the program is new, changes are likely to insure the program operates smoothly for shippers, buyers, and regulatory authorities alike.