Evaluation of SDS and GRAS liquid disinfectants for mitigation of hepatitis A virus contamination of berries.

Abstract

To evaluate generally recognized as safe (GRAS) liquid wash formulations against hepatitis A virus-contaminated strawberries and blackberries in order to identify a formulation suitable for reducing virus contamination. Formulations included the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS; 0·5% w/v) by itself, and in combination, with lactic acid (LA; 0·5% v/v), levulinic acid (LVA; 0·5% v/v) and 3ppm aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO2 ). After contamination and drying overnight, the average total extracted contamination for both untreated strawberries and blackberries was 4·4log PFU. Three successive distilled H2 O only treatments reduced total contamination by up to 1·8log PFU for both strawberries and blackberries, while wash formulations showed significant (P≤0·05) total reductions ranging from 2·1 to 2·9log PFU. Considering results for both berry types, the combination of ClO2 and SDS was the most effective. Overall results indicate that adding surfactant and several types of sanitizers to berry wash can enhance HAV reduction on berries. This study indicates that industry could enhance the virologic safety of ready-to-eat berries by the combined use of surfactant and sanitizer.