FDA Releases Strategy for Control of Viruses in Berries

FDA has released a prevention strategy for the control of viruses in berries. This is in response to hepatitis A and norovirus outbreaks linked to fresh and frozen berries in the U.S. and globally.

There has not been a virus outbreak in the United States in 35 years that was linked to berries that were domestically produced. The outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh and frozen berries, including an outbreak linked to Made With frozen strawberries. The berries were grown in Baja California. The list of hepatitis A outbreaks linked to berries is long.

In 2019, the FDA began sampling frozen berries for hepatitis A and norovirus. This new strategy seems like a logical continuation of that work.

Contamination of these berries can occur in several ways, including illnesses in field workers, management of sanitary facilities, and cross-contamination in the field and processing centers.

The prevention strategy will include several efforts. The FDA will promote high rates of compliance with FDA food safety requirements, and will encourage the berry industry to ensure consistent application of processes. The agency will also broaden scientific knowledge about the persistence, detection and mitigation of viruses in berries, in pre and post harvest environments and agricultural water sources.

The FDA will also foster research to enhance their ability to detect and characterize these viruses in different sample types, and try to link the source of contamination using advanced methods. Outbreak investigations have found the there are recurring issues that will direct these preventive actions.

Conrad Choiniere, Director of the Office of Microbiological Food Safety at the FDA’s Human Food Program (HFP). said in a statement, “Collaboration between regulators, the global berry industry, and other interest holders has been critical for the development of this strategy. We look forward to on-going collaboration with all interest holders to ensure the success of this strategy, and others, for the prevention of foodborne illness.”