White Paper on Effectiveness of Existing Interventions on Virus Inactivation in Meat and Poultry Products

This white paper provides information on the distribution of viruses in infected animals, shedding of animal and human viral pathogens, persistence of viruses in foods and the environment, thermal and non-thermal methods for destruction of viruses, and other industry practices, including GMPs and SSOPs, designed to prevent contamination of meat.

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Objectives

• Describe viruses associated with human disease and with animal disease that may  potentially be present in meat and poultry products
• Review thermal and non-thermal methods for inactivation of viruses and their effectiveness and practicality in meat and poultry matrices
• Assess GMPs and SSOPs for their effectiveness in preventing viral contamination and destroying any viruses present in meat and poultry products
• Determine and discuss current data gaps regarding inactivation of viruses

Conclusions

Foodborne viruses cause over 9 million cases of illness in the U.S. each year. Noroviruses and hepatitis A virus are the most commonly identified viruses transmitted in food and their presence in shellfish, fresh produce and prepared foods is an important public health priority. Several other human enteric viruses have also been transmitted in food that was contaminated in the field, during processing, or by infected food handlers. In addition, numerous viruses, that cause disease in animals, may be present in meat, eggs, and dairy products. Although carnivores eating raw products from infected animals have contracted some of these diseases, there are few documented examples of humans that became ill by foodborne transmission of these viruses.

Viruses do not replicate in foods under any conditions but controlling viral contamination presents some unique challenges. Infectious dose of many viruses is 10-100 particles. Their simple structure, and the fact that they are not physiologically active in foods or on environmental surfaces, protects viruses from many interventions that are used to inactivate more complex and metabolically-active foodborne bacteria and parasites.

Deliverable

Viruses are the most frequent cause of foodborne illness with millions of cases occurring annually in the U.S. Although norovirus and hepatitis A virus are most commonly detected in fresh produce, shellfish, and foods prepared by infected food handlers, meat and poultry products may become contaminated with both human and animal viruses. Some animal viruses are present in internal tissues and organs and some are shed in very large numbers in feces.

Although most animal viruses do not cause human illness, some are known to be zoonotic. This white paper  provides comprehensive information on viruses that may be present in meat and processing conditions that prevent contamination with viruses and destroy viruses that are present, to help prevent foodborne illness and reduce economic losses to processors.

In addition to issues related to controlling conditions in domestic food production, processing and preparation facilities, there are also concerns about importation of zoonotic viral diseases through wildlife trade, the potential presence of infectious viruses in smuggled meat and meat products, and reservoirs of some viruses in wild ruminants and pigs.