title: Physical removal and transfer of murine norovirus and hepatitis A virus from contaminated produce by scrubbing and peeling.
abstract: Human noroviruses and hepatitis A virus are responsible for numerous outbreaks associated with handling fresh produce. In this study, physical removal of hepatitis A virus and murine norovirus, a human norovirus surrogate, from contaminated produce items (honeydew melons, cantaloupes,  carrots, and celery) by scrubbing under running water with a nylon brush or scouring pad and by peeling (carrots and celery) with a peeler was investigated. The degree and extent of utensil contamination with viruses during these operations in the presence and absence of food residue also  was investigated. Scrubbing or peeling produce initially inoculated with ∼5.5 log PFU of each virus resulted in significant levels of virus removal, ranging from 0.93 to 2.85 log PFU. However, utensil cross-contamination occurred, with >2 log PFU of virus transferred from a single produce  item. After preparation of a contaminated produce item, utensil cross-contamination resulted in virus detection on seven successively prepared produce items. Produce residue accumulation on utensils variably impacted virus transfer to utensil surfaces. Results indicate that scrubbing and peeling  produce can reduce levels of viruses on contaminated produce, but the importance of utensil sanitation to prevent cross-contamination is highlighted. Findings also provide important information for modeling virus cross-contamination during food preparation.
authors: Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, Griffin, Georgia 30223, USA.
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Marilyn C
authors: MC
authors: Erickson
authors: Ynes
authors: Y
authors: Ortega
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Cannon
mesh_terms: D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000635:transmission; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability; D029322:Norovirus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000821:virology*