New food safety challenges of viral contamination from a global perspective: Conventional, emerging, and novel methods of viral control

Abstract

Food‐ and waterborne viruses, such as human norovirus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus, rotaviruses, astroviruses, adenoviruses, and enteroviruses, are major contributors to all foodborne illnesses. Their small size, structure, and ability to clump and attach to inanimate surfaces make viruses challenging to reduce or eliminate, especially in the presence of inorganic or organic soils. Besides traditional wet and dry methods of disinfection using chemicals and heat, emerging physical nonthermal decontamination techniques (irradiation, ultraviolet, pulsed light, high hydrostatic pressure, cold atmospheric plasma, and pulsed electric field), novel virucidal surfaces, and bioactive compounds are examined for their potential to inactivate viruses on the surfaces of foods or food contact surfaces (tools, equipment, hands, etc.). Every disinfection technique is discussed based on its efficiency against viruses, specific advantages and disadvantages, and limitations. Structure, genomic organization, and molecular biology of different virus strains are reviewed, as they are key in determining these techniques effectiveness in controlling all or specific foodborne viruses. Selecting suitable viral decontamination techniques requires that their antiviral mechanism of action and ability to reduce virus infectivity must be taken into consideration. Furthermore, details about critical treatments parameters essential to control foodborne viruses in a food production environment are discussed, as they are also determinative in defining best disinfection and hygiene practices preventing viral infection after consuming a food product.

Research progress on detection techniques for point-of-care testing of foodborne pathogens

“…In recent years, many methods for the detection of foodborne pathogens have been developed to address food safety and public health issues, especially with the increased consumption of fresh food and food with short shelf life. Rapid detection technologies are becoming more marketable ( Freitas et al, 2020 ; Ezzatpanah et al, 2022 ). For example, many scholars have combined POCT technologies such as molecular immunology, bio-molecular, biosensor, and microfluidics to provide new approaches for rapid, low-cost, highly sensitive, and highly specific detection methods for foodborne pathogens ( Cimafonte et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2021d ; Zhang et al, 2021c ).…”

Non‐gene‐editing microbiome engineering of spontaneous food fermentation microbiota—Limitation control, design control, and integration

“…Viruses also play a role in establishing limitations. Recently, there has been increasing research on controlling microbial community assembly using viruses (Ezzatpanah et al., 2022a, 2022b), including bacteriophages (Costantini et al., 2017; Philippe et al., 2017) and yeast viruses (Ciani & Comitini, 2015; Fujimura & Esteban, 2011). Phages have been used to control the growth of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum , ensuring ethanol production by S .…”

Quantification and Potential Viability of Human Noroviruses in Final Effluent from Wastewater Treatment Works in Pretoria, South Africa

“…Consequently, noroviruses are abundant in wastewater and sewage surveillance has proven to be useful in identifying genotypes and strains circulating in communities in a given geographical area (Mabasa et al, 2022). Although noroviruses are hardy and can survive most treatment methods (Lopman et al, 2012;Ngazoa et al, 2008), a substantial amount of the virions get damaged by different food and water treatment procedures that use heat, high hydrostatic pressure, ultraviolet radiation and virucidal chemical agents (Ezzatpanah et al, 2022). Detection of viral RNA using the current gold standard test, real-time RT-qPCR, cannot differentiate intact and potentially infectious viruses from inactivated virions (Jeong et al, 2017).…”