Evaluation of inhibitory activity of essential oils and natural extracts on foodborne viruses.

Aims: Enteric viruses are recognized as a major concern in health care and in the food sector in Canada. Novel clean-label strategies for controlling enteric viruses are sought in the food industry. In this study, we examined the antiviral potential of plant extracts and essential oils on murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1), hepatitis A virus (HAV), and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1).

Inactivation of murine norovirus and hepatitis A virus on various frozen fruits using pulsed light.

The frozen fruit sector has experienced significant growth due to improved product quality as well as the advantage of long-term preservation. However, freezing alone does not eliminate foodborne viruses, a major public health concern and considerable economic burden. One promising disinfecting treatment is pulsed light, shown previously to inactivate hepatitis A virus (HAV) and murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1) on the surface of fresh berries.

Identification and characterization of microorganisms isolated from noncompliant or atypical dairy products in Canada.

Despite good manufacturing practices and rigorous cleaning and sanitizing procedures established in dairy processing plants, microbiological contamination remains the main cause of products being noncompliant or atypical and hence not fit for human consumption. The objective of this study was to isolate, identify, and characterize bacteria, yeasts, and molds associated with substandard dairy products in Canada and to create a collection of reference isolates. In addition to conventional microbiological characterization, each isolate was tested for biofilm-forming ability and susceptibility to heat, antimicrobial agents, and common industrial disinfectants.

Concentration of foodborne viruses eluted from fresh and frozen produce: Applicability of ultrafiltration.

Foodborne illnesses involving raw and minimally processed foods are often caused by human noroviruses (HuNoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV). Since food is contaminated usually with small numbers of virions, these must be eluted from the food surface and then concentrated for detection. The objective of this study was to optimize an ultrafiltration (UF) concentration method for HAV and HuNoVs present on various fresh and frozen produce.

Evaluation of a new automated viral RNA extraction platform for hepatitis A virus and human norovirus in testing of berries, lettuce, and oysters.

Fruits, vegetables, and shellfish are often associated with outbreaks of illness caused particularly by human norovirus (HuNoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), the leading causative agents of foodborne illness worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new automated nucleic acid extraction platform (EGENE-UP EASYPREP) for enteric viruses in several at-risk food matrices and to test its limit of detection in comparison to a semi-automated method (EGENE-UP) using Boom methodology for nucleic acid extraction as suggested in the reference method ISO 15216-2:2019. Fresh and frozen raspberries, frozen blackberries, romaine lettuce and oyster digestive glands were artificially contaminated with HAV, HuNoV GII.

The possibility of spreading herpes simplex virus type 1 via food handling and sharing.

Aims: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is an enveloped virus that causes recurrent and incurable diseases in 67% of the world population. Although it is not listed as a foodborne virus, some studies have shown that it can be recovered from surfaces as well as food.

Methods And Results: We investigated its persistence at -20°C, 4°C, 20°C, or 37°C for up to 7 days on stainless steel, aluminum, glass, polypropylene, cheddar cheese, sliced almond, and apple skin and in cola soft drink, orange juice, coffee, and milk, as well as its transferability from stainless steel to dry or moistened nitrile or latex gloves over time at typical ambient temperatures.

Inactivation of foodborne viruses by novel organic peroxyacid-based disinfectants.

Viruses are responsible for most enteric foodborne illnesses worldwide. The foods most frequently involved are fresh fruits and vegetables since they undergo little or no processing. Washing with a chemical disinfectant is a convenient way of inactivating viruses on foods.

Prevalence of Foodborne Viruses in Berries Harvested in Canada.

It is known that the transmission of different foodborne viruses can occur either via discharge of contaminated water close to the production environment or via close contact with animal feces. Cranberries are intimately associated with water throughout their production cycle, and blueberries grow close to the ground which could lead to contact with wildlife. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of human norovirus (HuNoV GI and GII), hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in two berries produced commercially in Canada.