Szechuan Peppercorn Ban
From 1968 to 2005, the United States Food and Drug
Administration banned the importation of Sichuan (AKA Schezuan, Szechuan, Sichuan, Schewan) peppercorns because
they were found to be capable of carrying citrus canker (as the tree is in the same family, Rutaceae, as the
genus Citrus). This bacterial disease, which is very difficult to control, could potentially harm the foliage
and fruit of citrus crops in the U.S. It was never an issue of harm in human
consumption. The import ban was only loosely enforced until 2002 . In 2005, the USDA and FDA
lifted the ban, provided the peppercorns are heated to around 70 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Fahrenheit) to
kill the canker bacteria before importation. (Source - Wikipedia)


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