Research call on norovirus in foods
The UK Food Standards Agency is inviting tenders to carry out a systematic review on the survival of norovirus in foods and on food contact surfaces.
Human enteric viruses are a major cause of infectious intestinal disease (IID) in the UK, and foodborne transmission is thought to be an important route of infection, says the FSA. But the amount to which different food sources are responsible for norovirus infection is currently poorly understood.
“Norovirus has frequently been associated with outbreaks of illness linked to raw or lightly cooked shellfish, particularly oysters,” says an FSA spokesman. “Other recognised foodborne routes of infection include fresh produce, particularly soft fruit. The introduction of norovirus into food by infected food handlers is thought to be a significant contributor to human infection.
“Norovirus tends to survive in the environment for longer, and is more resistant to physical and chemical treatments than its bacterial counterparts. There is a need to review the available literature in this area to assess the likely effectiveness of measures such as physical and chemical treatment for controlling norovirus in the food chain.”
Researchers will be required to conduct a systematic review of available literature on the survival of norovirus in foods and on food contact surfaces.
To find out more, visit https://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2012/apr/novovirus
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