A new peer-reviewed white paper, “Detection of Foodborne Viruses in Berries – State of the Science and Considerations for the Future,” published in Food Control, presents a comprehensive appraisal of the issues associated with enteric virus (norovirus and hepatitis A) detection in berries, according to a press release issued the the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) on August 25. The authors deliberated the technical and practical issues related to currently available detection methods and called for realignment of resources towards enhanced risk management approaches across berry growing and processing to mitigate the flow of contaminated products in the global supply chain.
The international panel of academic, industry and government experts in food virology, microbiology, food safety and risk assessment was convened by the Frozen Food Foundation in response to heightened awareness of the risks associated with enteric viruses in the berry supply chain.
“This information represents a paradigm shift in how the entire frozen berry supply chain – from grower to retailer – can manage enteric virus safety,” said Sanjay Gummalla, PhD, AFFI’s senior vice president of scientific affairs. “It is clear we cannot achieve our food safety goals through molecular detection methods alone. Rather we need to focus on prevention strategies including high-quality agricultural water, proper irrigation methods, worker hygiene training, and adequate sanitation facilities.”
The panel explored the nuances of current sampling and testing protocols used globally across all stakeholders (industry testing and regulatory surveillance), acknowledging it works best when concentrations of the virus are high and uniform. Dr. Gummalla pointed out, “These conditions are rarely met in real-world scenarios where contamination of berries mostly occurs at low levels and heterogeneously.”
The experts reiterated the age-old caveat, that testing can never guarantee safety, as the results only apply to the specific samples tested, not entire lots/batches.
“AFFI and its members take food safety seriously, and these findings are invaluable to our effort to work with government and industry to continuously improve the safety of frozen berries and protect consumers,” concluded Dr. Gummalla.
AFFI partnered with iDecision Sciences and developed an AI-based digital platform for enteric virus risk management called EViews to transparently manage risks in the supply chain, and the frozen berry industry is actively using it globally. Additionally, AFFI’s food safety zone comprises its Enteric Virus Control Program and Enteric Virus Control Specialist Training, created in collaboration with the International Food Protection Training Institute.
An official scientific journal of the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) and the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), Food Control is an international journal that publishes manuscripts resulting from original scientific investigation into significant food safety and food quality concerns and preventative control measures that improve public health.
