Retail Shops and Foodborne Virus Control

Fresh vegetables and their ready-to-eat (RTE) salads have become increasingly recognized as potential vehicles for foodborne diseases. The EU Reg. 1441/2007 establishes microbiological criteria for bacterial pathogens for products placed on the market during their shelf-life for pre-cut fruits and vegetables (RTE) whilst it does not address the problem of contamination by enteric viruses.

 

Ready-To-Eat Virus Contamination

In this study contamination by :

• hepatitis A virus (HAV),
• hepatitis E virus (HEV) and
• norovirus (NoV)

was investigated in 911 ready-to-eat vegetable samples taken from products at retail in Apulia and in Lombardia.



Apulia, Italy

Lombardia, Italy



911 ready-to-eat vegetable samples taken from products at retail

The vegetable samples were tested using validated real-time PCR.

Prevalence of foodborne Hepatitis Virus

The total prevalence of HAV and HEV was 1.9% (18/911) and 0.6% (6/911), respectively. The detection of HAV and HEV in RTE salads highlights a risk to consumers and the need to improve production hygiene. Appropriate implementation of hygiene procedures is required at all the steps of the RTE vegetable production chain.

This should include monitoring of emerging viral pathogens.

Presence of Norovirus &Adenovirus on Environmental Surfaces

Norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis outbreaks appear frequently in food service operations (FSOs), such as in restaurants and canteens. In this study the presence of NoV and adenovirus (AdV) genomes was investigated on the surfaces of premises, especially in kitchens, of 30 FSOs where foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks were suspected.

The objective was to establish a possible association between the presence of virus genomes on surfaces and a visual hygienic status of the FSOs. NoV genome was found in 11 and AdV genome in 8 out of 30 FSOs.

Positive swabbing with Norovirus and Adenovirus

Swab sampling method have been developped to address the issue In total, 291 swabs were taken, of which 8.9% contained NoV and 5.8% AdV genome. The study suggests that

• swabbing is necessary for revealing viral contamination of surfaces
• emphasis of hygiene inspections should be on the food handling procedures,
• the education of food workers on virus transmission is key.

Norovirus cross-contamination during preparation of fresh produce

The goal of this study was to examine cross-contamination of a HuNoV surrogate, murine norovirus (MNV-1), during common procedures used in preparing fresh produce in a food service setting, including turning water spigots, handling and chopping Romaine lettuce, and washing hands. The data gathered indicate that MNV-1 transfers readily between common surfaces during food preparation.

The Federation of Commerce and Distribution and Foodborne virus

The Federation of Commerce and Distribution in France, a Professional Group gathering supermarkets (retail shops), publishes GUIDELINES for the control of Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus in many food matrices, including Frozen Fruits, Scallops, Live bivalve shellfish, Herbs and salads (leafy greens).

Foodborne Virus and Regulations in Europe

CE/2073/2005

Foodstuffs should not contain micro-organisms or their toxins or metabolites in quantities that present an unacceptable risk for human health, according to CE/2073/2005.

CE/669/2009

Frozen raspberries (food) originating from Serbia at a control frequency of 10% due to their possible contamination with norovirus (CE) n°669/2009

HACCP and Control Plan for Foodborne Virus

The main reasons for using HACCP are to implement food safety management and prevent food safety hazards. By identifying where hazards are most likely to occur in the operation it will be much easier to put in place the measures needed to prevent those hazards, especially the ones concerned by Foodborne viruses (Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus). In addition, food safety incidents, such as the Pomegranate seeds contamination by HAV, or the Frozen Strawberries originating from Egypt and contaminated by Hepatitis A Virus, can be prevented by an effective HACCP system.

Virus Outbreaks in Europe in 2017

Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus Outbreaks in Europe in 2017

 

Molluscs, Fruits and Vegetable have been implicated in outbreaks in 2017, originating from no less than seven countries. Norovirus was the most common foodborne virus (92%). Italy has been the greatest provider of Alerts in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed so far.

 

Sources :

- Pubmed

- RASFF

- European Union

- FCD

- EFSA

- bioMérieux Industry



 

Norovirus and Serbian raspberries

A new alert from the RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) for Serbian raspberries, contaminated by food-borne viruses, adds up to the 24 previous ones since 2009 for Fruits and Vegetables, originating from this country.

 

Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus

Blackberries, mixed berries, raspberries have all been implicated in the past years in an information or an alert from the European authorities, following a contamination of food-borne viruses.

 

Serbia is not the only country of origin though (25/71 alerts for Viruses in Fruits and Vegetables), and many others have been implicated with foodborne virus contamination : Belgium, China, Poland, Chile, Morocco, Bulgaria ... according to the RASFF.

Chinese raspberries, for example, were implicated several times (4) since 2006, due to viral contamination as recently posted. This led the European community to request controls at borders for imported chinese strawberries.

Chile, also a strong raspberry Producer in the Southern Hemisphere, has been implicated in several recalls, and is now working towards better controls for a safer production of the "Chilean Frambuesas", in order to bring back confidence to the European importers.

Raspberries, a booming business for Serbia

Germany is leading the importing countries statistics in Europe with a little more than 15,000 tonnes. France had a strong increase (+16%), with 10,981 tonnes, while Austria (+78%) came 3rd with 1,851 tonnes and the UK (+34%)th  with 1,796 tonnes [Source]

Other fruits and Foodborne virus contamination

Not only are raspberries often heading the news, for virus contamination, but recent events in the US remind us that Strawberries, produced a similar way than the raspberries, can also be contaminated by foodborne viruses.

Hepatitis A Virus is the human pathogen detected in the egyptian strawberries imported into the US and used to prepare smoothies. This multistate outbreak, linked to frozen berries, has now contaminated dozens of people, mostly in Virginia.

Pomegranate arils from Turkey were also implicated in a large multistate outbreak in the US back in 2013. Hepatitis A Virus was also detected in the product, sold frozen in retail shops. 165 people were contaminated.

Water can also be a source for rapidly spreading the viruses, as recently seen in Turkey, when 32000 people were hospitalized following the consumption of water-borne virus contaminated tap water, or in Spain when more than 4000 persons got ill after drinking bottled water.

What are food-borne viruses?

• HAV was first identified in 1973, and is a non-enveloped virus, classified within the genus hepatovirus of the picornavirus family. Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hepatitis A is highly contagious. HAV is  transmitted by the fecal-oral route, either through person-to-person contact orconsumption of contaminated food or water. For more information on Hepatitis A check the CDC website and WHO Website.
• Noroviruses are highly contagious and 10-100 viral particles may be sufficient to infect an individual. They are transmitted primarily through the faecal-oral route, either by consumption of contaminated food or water, or by spreading directly from person to person. Vomiting creates aerosols with high content of virus particles, which enter the oral mucosa or contaminate surfaces. The virus survives a long time on different surfaces and thus, environment may serve as a source of new infections. For more information on norovirus check the ECDC website

Learn more about viruses

Norovirus and Serbian raspberries

A new alert from the RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) for Serbian raspberries, contaminated by food-borne viruses, adds up to the 24 previous ones since 2009 for Fruits and Vegetables, originating from this country.

 

Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus

Blackberries, mixed berries, raspberries have all been implicated in the past years in an information or an alert from the European authorities, following a contamination of food-borne viruses.

 

Serbia is not the only country of origin though (25/71 alerts for Viruses in Fruits and Vegetables), and many others have been implicated with foodborne virus contamination : Belgium, China, Poland, Chile, Morocco, Bulgaria ... according to the RASFF.

Chinese raspberries, for example, were implicated several times (4) since 2006, due to viral contamination as recently posted. This led the European community to request controls at borders for imported chinese strawberries.

Chile, also a strong raspberry Producer in the Southern Hemisphere, has been implicated in several recalls, and is now working towards better controls for a safer production of the "Chilean Frambuesas", in order to bring back confidence to the European importers.

Raspberries, a booming business for Serbia

Germany is leading the importing countries statistics in Europe with a little more than 15,000 tonnes. France had a strong increase (+16%), with 10,981 tonnes, while Austria (+78%) came 3rd with 1,851 tonnes and the UK (+34%)th  with 1,796 tonnes [Source]

Other fruits and Foodborne virus contamination

Not only are raspberries often heading the news, for virus contamination, but recent events in the US remind us that Strawberries, produced a similar way than the raspberries, can also be contaminated by foodborne viruses.

Hepatitis A Virus is the human pathogen detected in the egyptian strawberries imported into the US and used to prepare smoothies. This multistate outbreak, linked to frozen berries, has now contaminated dozens of people, mostly in Virginia.

Pomegranate arils from Turkey were also implicated in a large multistate outbreak in the US back in 2013. Hepatitis A Virus was also detected in the product, sold frozen in retail shops. 165 people were contaminated.

Water can also be a source for rapidly spreading the viruses, as recently seen in Turkey, when 32000 people were hospitalized following the consumption of water-borne virus contaminated tap water, or in Spain when more than 4000 persons got ill after drinking bottled water.

What are food-borne viruses?

• HAV was first identified in 1973, and is a non-enveloped virus, classified within the genus hepatovirus of the picornavirus family. Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hepatitis A is highly contagious. HAV is  transmitted by the fecal-oral route, either through person-to-person contact orconsumption of contaminated food or water. For more information on Hepatitis A check the CDC website and WHO Website.
• Noroviruses are highly contagious and 10-100 viral particles may be sufficient to infect an individual. They are transmitted primarily through the faecal-oral route, either by consumption of contaminated food or water, or by spreading directly from person to person. Vomiting creates aerosols with high content of virus particles, which enter the oral mucosa or contaminate surfaces. The virus survives a long time on different surfaces and thus, environment may serve as a source of new infections. For more information on norovirus check the ECDC website

Learn more about viruses

Foodborne Virus alerts in RASFF : an Update

In the past couple days, RASFF published two new informations for products contaminated with viruses in food (norovirus).

Noroviruses in French Oysters

As often published on this blog, oysters are a major source of contamination.

This is the eleventh RASFF alert on Molluscan shellfish this year. Overall oysters account for 46% of the foodstuff contaminated with norovirus.

Foodborne viruses and bivalve shellfish

Clams have also been implicated in alerts, with contamination by Hepatitis A Virus, and norovirus.

Pathogens and Foodstuff

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs 

 

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs :

(2) Foodstuffs should not contain micro-organisms or their toxins or metabolites in quantities that present an unacceptable risk for human health.

(27) In particular, criteria for pathogenic viruses in live bivalve molluscs should be established when the analytical methods are developed sufficiently. There is a need for development of reliable methods for other microbial hazards too, e.g. Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Noroviruses in Bulgarian Raspberries

Fruits are the most second foodstuff implicated in outbreak, and rapsberries have been recently implicated with a contamination by Norovirus.
Products from Bulgaria has been implicated 10 times in alerts, essnetially for Hepatitis A Virus. This is the first time that norovirus, according to the RASFF, is detected in fruits from Bulgaria.
Italy, France and Norway have posted those alerts in the past years.

Foodborne virus and ISO Method

In 2014, 15% of the RASFF virus alerts implicated fruits. ISO Method is available for the pre-treatment of various matrices, including Fruits (stoneless edible fruits), such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, currants.

• ISO/TS 15216

  ISO/TS 15216-1:2013 describes a method for quantification of levels of :
  ISO/TS 15216-2:2013 describes a method for qualitative detection of :
  
  
  1. HAV (Hepatitis A Virus) and
  2. NoV ( Norovirus) genogroup I (GI) and II (GII) RNA,

from test samples of foodstuffs or food surfaces. Following liberation of viruses from the test sample, viral RNA is then extracted by lysis with guanidine thiocyanate and adsorption on silica. Target sequences within the viral RNA are amplified and detected by real-time RT-PCR.

Hepatitis A Virus and Norovirus

• HAV was first identified in 1973, and is a non-enveloped virus, classified within the genus hepatovirus of the picornavirus family. Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hepatitis A is highly contagious. HAV is  transmitted by the fecal-oral route, either through person-to-person contact orconsumption of contaminated food or water. For more information on Hepatitis A check the CDC website and WHO Website.
  
• Noroviruses are highly contagious and 10-100 viral particles may be sufficient to infect an individual. They are transmitted primarily through the faecal-oral route, either by consumption of contaminated food or water, or by spreading directly from person to person. Vomiting creates aerosols with high content of virus particles, which enter the oral mucosa or contaminate surfaces. The virus survives a long time on different surfaces and thus, environment may serve as a source of new infections. For more information on norovirus check the ECDC website

Sources :

1. RASFF
2. CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HAV/index.htm
3. WHO: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsredc2007/en/index2.html

Hepatitis A Virus in clams from Tunisia

 

Tunisian Clams contaminated with Hepatitis A Virus

Italy recently alerted the EU through the RASFF (Feb. 18th) on a Hepatitis A Virus contamination of Tunisian clams. Clams have often be implicated in viral contamination as previously reported on this blog (http://ceeram.blogspot.fr/2015/07/rasff-foodborne-virus-annual-report-2014.html), especially in 2014 with vietnamese clams contaminated by norovirus.

4 Hepatitis A Virus alerts in 2 days

On February 19th, Italy posted 3 more alerts on clams imported from Tunisia. Destruction was the fate of those clams (Ruditapes decussatus). 

Monitoring viruses (norovirus, hepatitis A Virus) in mollusks

In our May 13th, 2010 article (http://ceeram.blogspot.fr/2010/05/studies-suggest-benefits-of-monitoring.html) we were echoeing a study from CIDRAP, where the group concluded :

• that growing evidence suggests that it is possible to gauge illness risk based on norovirus levels in oysters and that given the inadequacy of existing controls to prevent contamination, 
• that setting an appropriate virus standard would yield public health benefits. 
• that validated treatment processes can be used to produce a safe product, even when low levels of norovirus are detected in the treated oysters. 

 

Hepatitis A Virus and ISO/TS 15216

1. Microbiology of food and animal feed -- Horizontal method for determination of hepatitis A virus and norovirus in food using real-time RT-PCR -- Part 1: Method for quantification
2. Microbiology of food and animal feed -- Horizontal method for determination of hepatitis A virus and norovirus in food using real-time RT-PCR -- Part 2: Method for qualitative detection

Hepatitis A Virus and bivalve shellfish

The mechanisms of bivalve shellfish contamination are well described in this linkedin Post where these shellfish are capable of concentrating viruses that may be present in water, resulting in viral concentrations far exceeding those of the surrounding water (Lees, 2000). 

The Global and Regional Burden of Foodborne Disease

WHO through the Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) published an interesting report with the major causes of foodborne illnesses, and the related pathogens. Hepatitis A Virus and foodborne virus in general are the number 1 cause.

Hepatitis A Virus

HAV was first identified in 1973, and is a non-enveloped virus, classified within the genus hepatovirus of the picornavirus family. Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hepatitis A is highly contagious. HAV is  transmitted by the fecal-oral route, either through person-to-person contact orconsumption of contaminated food or water. For more information on Hepatitis A check the CDC website and WHO Website.

Norovirus in Raspberries from Chile

No less than 9 Alerts in the RASFF [Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed] are concerning products originating from Chile, since 2006, contaminated by food-borne viruses, either norovirus or hepatitis A Virus.

2016 : Chilean Raspberries contaminated with Norovirus

The four potentially impacted countries in Europe by this norovirus alert, where the products have been distributed are Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Swiss Federation

Chilean Fruits and Food-borne Viruses

Blueberries, raspberries and mixed berries have been most implicated in the RASFF registered alerts since 2006. Soft fruits are often sources of outbreaks and alerts, which led EFSA to publish a Scientific Opinion on the risk posed by pathogens in food of non-animal origin (…Norovirus in berries).

Chile, a fruit exporter

According to EFEAGRO, Chile has more than 7800 producers of fruits, and 747 exporters of 30 different fruits. Blueberries are in the top four fruits most exported. Asia is the leading area for export.

Sources : RASFF, EFEAGRO, EFSA

RASFF ANNUAL REPORT 2014

 RASFF [Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed] recently published its 2014 Annual Report. Here is what is said about viruses :

Norovirus

A significant rise in the notifications for norovirus in bivalve molluscs is largely attributable to 24 notifications on boiled clams from Vietnam. Problems with these clams were already signalled in 2013, when Salmonella was frequently detected in them.

Investigations showed that these clams were insufficiently heat treated to eliminate pathogens. Vietnam reported back that problems with the coastal water quality were the origin of the contamination and took measures to ensure clams were sourced from less contaminated waters.

The EC also obliged Vietnam to ensure that the clams were sufficiently cooked (90°C/90s) to eliminate pathogens.

Hepatitis A

The investigations into the foodborne outbreaks with hepatitis A in 2013 that could be linked to berries culminated in important efforts to collect backwards traceability information on the suspected products up to the farmer level. Because of the large incubation time before illness, many products needed to be investigated. The data were collected through templates prepared by EFSA that were based on the methodology worked out during the E. coli outbreak investigations of 2011. Data were stored on iRASFF in the form of three RASFF news items on the three outbreaks that started in 2013 in Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands.

In 2014 more cases of illness associated with the same virus strain were reported in Germany, Norway, Sweden and France and led to notifications by France (mixed frozen berries), Norway (berry but termilk cake) and Germany (frozen strawberries), extending the initial tracing dataset.

EFSA published a report on the analysis of the traceability data collected which aimed at finding the “hotspots” where the contamination has occurred along the production chain. A single source of contamination was not identified but a data model of the complex distribution chain was elaborated linking the various RASFF alerts with human cases of Hepatitis A via evidence from epidemiology and tracing of single lots of frozen berries.

Read more at :
rasff_annual_report_2014.pdf

The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2013

Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus ( Viruses) & Giardia and Cryptosporidium ( Parasites)

 http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3991.htm


This EFSA and ECDC report presents the results of the zoonoses monitoring activities carried out in 2013 in 32 European countries (28 Member States and four non-Member States).


© European Food Safety Authority, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2015
 

Ceeram -The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2013

Kava Drinking and Hepatitis A Virus

Kava (Piper methysticum) is a crop of the western Pacific.

The name kava(-kava) is from Tongan and Marquesan; other names for kava include ʻawa (Hawaiʻi), ava (Samoa), yaqona (Fiji), and sakau (Pohnpei).

The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties.

Hepatitis A Virus and Kava

In May 2013, a case of hepatitis A infection was reported to a Western Australian regional public health unit, with infection acquired in Fiji. Following this, 2 further cases were linked to the index case by kava drinking and 1 further case was a household contact of a secondary case. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25409352]

Common Drink Vessel and preparation

"This outbreak highlights that the preparation of kava drink and/or the use of a common drinking vessel could be a vehicle for the transmission of HAV (Hepatitis A Virus)", indicated the researchers from Kalgoorlie.

How to prepare Kava

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkWU93hMPrA