The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced a new strategy to make frozen berries safer for consumers by reducing the risk of enteric viruses. These viruses cause symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain, including outbreaks linked to norovirus and hepatitis A. While U.S.-grown berries haven’t had outbreaks in over 35 years, imported berries have been implicated in outbreaks globally.
The FDA’s strategy focuses on sanitation measures from berry harvesting to processing. Key areas include proper hygiene for workers, sanitary facility management, preventing cross-contamination, and monitoring farm and facility worker exposure to viruses. Experts emphasize that this approach avoids adding pesticides but instead aims to prevent people from transferring germs to the berries.
Dr. Amesh A. Adalja highlights that individual berry consumption risk is low due to their delicate nature, often hand-harvested by employees who might become ill or contaminate berries with viruses they handle. Dr. Benjamin Chapman notes that once contaminated, removing viruses from berries is difficult due to their sensitivity and the lack of effective post-harvest treatments.
The urgency stems from the global impact of frozen berry contamination. The World Health Organization (UNICEF) has declared it a significant public health issue, with recent U.S.-linked outbreaks linked to organic strawberry growers in Mexico. Norovirus and hepatitis A outbreaks have led to recalls and serious health impacts across multiple regions.
This isn’t just an American problem; it’s a global challenge, with frozen berries contaminated with these viruses posing high burdens worldwide, including in the U.S., where outbreaks have led to hospitalizations and illnesses affecting several states.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/prone-to-contamination-fda-updates-food-safety-protocol-for-fresh-and-frozen-berries/articleshow/117563165.cms