Food and Drug Administration Strategy to Prevent Norovirus and HA

202-434-4100

Associate Attorney – Family Law
The Micklin Law Group

Family/Matrimonial Law Attorney
On Balance Search Consultants

Matrimonial Attorney
On Balance Search Consultants

FDA Develops Strategy to Prevent Adulteration of Berries with Enteric Viral Infections

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Print Mail Download info_icon_img

Earlier this month, FDA released a summary of a strategy intended to prevent human norovirus and hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreaks associated with fresh and raw berries. Both norovirus and HAV are types of enteric virus (effecting the gastroenteric system) which have been linked to imported fresh and frozen berries; domestically grown berries have not been linked to an outbreak of these viruses for 35 years.
Among the information consulted in developing the plan were the results of 1,558 samples of frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries from November 2018 to September 2023, which showed HAV in 8 samples and norovirus in 10 samples.
The pillars of the plan are (1) promoting high compliance rates with FDA’s food safety requirements, (2) encouraging the berry industry to consistently apply pre- and post- harvest sanitation practices, including conducting root cause analysis when failures occur, (3) broadening knowledge regarding the viability, persistence, detection, and mitigation of viruses in fresh and frozen berries, pre- and post-harvest environments, and agricultural water sources, and (4) incentivizing the use of immunization to promote worker health.