Generally Recognized As Safe Research Articles

Lactoferrin for Prevention and Treatment of Anemia and Inflammation in Pregnant Women: A Comprehensive Review.

Pregnancy is a physiological state that demands higher level of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, for the growth and maintenance of the fetus. Iron deficiency is a part of most common diet deficiencies in pregnancy and has high clinical significance leading to the development of syderopenic anemia and its consequences for mother and child, such as higher risk of perinatal death, susceptibility to infection, intra-uteral growth inhibition, prematurity and low birth weight. Hence, iron supplementation is recommended for pregnant women; however dietary intake of iron from most commercially available formulas is often insufficient due to iron-poor bioavailability, or have undesired side-effects in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a discouraging and distrustful attitude to such treatment. The results of numerous studies indicate that diet supplementation with lactoferrin (LTF), an iron-binding protein, may be advantageous in prophylaxis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia. LTF, administered orally, normalizes iron homeostasis, not only by facilitating iron absorption, but also by inhibiting inflammatory processes responsible for anemia of chronic diseases, characterized by a functional iron deficit for physiological processes. LTF also protects against infections and inflammatory complications, caused by diagnostic surgical interventions in pregnant women. Beneficial, multidirectional actions of LTF during pregnancy encompass, in addition, inhibition of oxidative stress, normalization of intestine and genital tract microbiota and carbohydrate-lipid metabolism, protection of intestine barrier function, promotion of wound healing, as well as hypotensive, analgesic and antistress actions. Bovine lactoferrin (BLTF) is readily available on the nutritional market and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in human diet.

An Up-Scalable and Cost-Effective Methodology for Isolating a Polypeptide Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Inhibitor from Lupinus albus Seeds.

One of the most challenging problems with food-borne bioactive compounds is that there are commonly no cost-effective, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) methods for obtaining gram quantities of their purified forms. Here we aimed at developing a method to isolate deflamin, an oligomeric protein from lupin seeds with anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity through matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9 inhibition. Our goal was to develop a GRAS method that could be easily up-scalable whilst maintaining deflamin’s activity. A sequential precipitation methodology was developed, using an aqueous extraction, followed by heat denaturation, acid precipitation and solubilization in ethanol. A final precipitation with 90% ethanol yielded a purified protein which was sequenced through mass spectrometry and tested for its MMP inhibitory activity using the Dye-quenched (DQ) gelatin assay and the standard wound healing assay in HT29 cells. The developed method yielded a purified oligomer, which represented 0.1% (w/w) of total dry seed weight and was positively confirmed to be deflamin. It further showed to effectively reduce MMP-9 gelatinolytic activity as well as colon cancer cell migration, hence corroborating the effectiveness of our method. Overall, this is the first reported method for isolating an MMP-9 inhibitor from legume seeds, which is up-scalable to an industrial level, in a cost-effective manner.

Genome mining reveals the genes of carboxypeptidase for OTA-detoxification in Bacillus subtilis CW14

Bacillus subtilis CW14, isolated from fresh elk droppings in Beijing Zoo, is a Gram-positive, conferred Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) bacterium with the capacity of ochratoxin A (OTA) detoxification. The genome sequence of the CW14 strain showed a size of 4,287,522 bp with 44.06% GC content. It was predicted many putative enzymes involved in degrading mycotoxin by analyzing the signal peptides and the transmembrane regions. Nine extracellular enzymes were predicted relating to OTA detoxification, including four D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidases, two hydrolases, two amidases, and one lactamase. Indeed, two of the carboxypeptidase genes dacA and dacB, expressed in Escherichia coli, were verified contributing to OTA detoxification. DacA and OTA were mixed incubated for 24 h, and the degradation rate reached 71.3%. After purification, the concentration of recombinant DacA protein was 0.5 mg/mL. Bacillus subtilis CW14 and its carboxypeptidases may be used as OTA detoxification agents in food and feed industry production.

CRISPR-Cas9 mediated metabolic engineering of a mucoid Bacillus licheniformis isolate for mass production of 2,3-butanediol

Bacillus licheniformis is a bacterial strain generally recognized as safe (GRAS) with a tremendous potential for 2,3-butanediol (BDO) synthesis. Naturally isolated B. licheniformis usually secretes mucoid exopolymers, which hinder the strain development and metabolite production. A non-mucoid strain was generated by deleting both the pgsBCAE operon encoding polyglutamate synthase and the sacB gene encoding levansucrase using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In addition, lactate, glycerol and ethanol were identified as the major byproducts of B. licheniformis. The corresponding genes including ldhA encoding lactate dehydrogenase, dgp encoding D-α-glycerophosphatase, and adhE encoding alcohol dehydrogenase were deleted, resulting in the generation of a byproduct-free strain via flask culture. The fed-batch fermentation yielded more than 120 g/L of 2,3-BDO with negligible amounts of other byproducts using a corn steep liquor (CSL)-based medium. This study is the first of its kind to demonstrate the development of non-mucoid and byproduct-free strains for mass production of 2,3-BDO using a naturally isolated B. licheniformis strain.

Heterologous production of equol by lactic acid bacteria strains in culture medium and food

The isoflavones daidzin and genistin, present in soybeans, can be transformed by the intestinal microbiota into equol and 5-hydroxy-equol, compounds with enhanced availability and bioactivity, although these are only produced by a fraction of the population. Hence, there is an interest in the production of these compounds, although, to date, few bacteria with biotechnological interest and applicability in food have been found able to produce equol. In order to obtain lactic acid bacteria able to produce equol, the daidzein reductase (dzr), dihydrodaidzein reductase (ddr), tetrahydrodaidzein reductase (tdr) and dihydrodaidzein racemase (ifcA) genes, from Slackia isoflavoniconvertens DSM22006, were cloned into the vector pNZ:TuR, under a strong constitutive promoter (TuR). Lactococcus lactis MG1363, Lacticaseibacillus casei BL23, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WCFS1, Limosilactobacillus fermentum INIA 584L and L. fermentum INIA 832L, harbouring pNZ:TuR.tdr.ddr, were able to produce equol from dihydrodaidzein, while L. fermentum strains showed also production of 5-hydroxy-equol from dihydrogenistein. The metabolization of daidzein and genistein by the combination of strains harbouring pNZ:TuR.dzr and pNZ:TuR.tdr.ddr showed similar results, and the addition of the correspondent strain harbouring pNZ:TuR.ifcA resulted in an increase of equol production, but only in the L. fermentum strains. This pattern of equol and 5-hydroxy-equol production by L. fermentum strains was also confirmed in cow's milk supplemented with daidzein and genistein and incubated with the different combination of strains harbouring the constructed plasmids. Bacteria generally recognized as safe (GRAS), such as the lactic acid bacteria species used in this work, harbouring these plasmids, would be of value for the development of fermented vegetal foods enriched in equol and 5-hydroxy-equol.

Expresión de una proteína sintética con alta proporción de aminoácidos esenciales por Pichia pastoris

It is widely known that an adequate intake of proteins with essential amino acids stimulates the production of essential nonprotein substances for the body, such as serotonin, thyroid hormones, and glutathione. Biotechnology applications can focus on food and its benefits for human health, either by improving the nutritional value of existing foods or developing new alternatives that can help resolve the effects of poor nutrition. The yeast Pichia pastoris has been designated as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) microorganism and is currently used to produce a large number of recombinant proteins. In this study, a 100% synthetic protein was expressed intracellularly as a protein with high nutritional quality that contains a 75% ratio of essential amino acids using the expression system of the yeast P. pastoris. This approach might offer future possibilities for using the modified yeast as a single-cell protein source in the livestock industry and the food supplement market to reduce total protein intake.

FEMA GRAS assessment of natural flavor complexes: Eucalyptus oil and other cyclic ether-containing flavoring ingredients

In 2015, the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) initiated a program for the re-evaluation of the safety of over 250 natural flavor complexes (NFCs) used as flavor ingredients. This publication, the sixth in the series, will summarize the re-evaluation of eight NFCs whose constituent profiles are characterized by significant amounts of eucalyptol and/or other cyclic ethers. This re-evaluation was based on a procedure first published in 2005 and subsequently updated in 2018 that evaluates the safety of naturally occurring mixtures for their intended use as flavoring ingredients. The procedure relies on a complete chemical characterization of the NFC intended for commerce and the organization of its chemical constituents into well-defined congeneric groups. The safety of the NFC is evaluated using the well-established and conservative threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) concept in addition to data on absorption, metabolism and toxicology of the constituents of the congeneric groups and the NFC under evaluation. Eight NFCs derived from the Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Origanum, Laurus, Rosmarinus and Salvia genera were affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) under their conditions of intended use as flavor ingredients based on an evaluation of each NFC and the constituents and congeneric groups therein.

Naturally occurring non-nutritive sweeteners: A review

Today’s well-informed consumer is demanding health promoting foods which not only have natural ingredients and are additive free, but also offer functional properties without compromising on the taste. Excessive consumption of sugar is a leading cause of non- communicable diseases, globally. Not more than 10% of the calories should be derived from sugar for optimal health. This has led to the increase in demand of food products containing sugar free alternatives. Therefore, naturally occurring non-nutritive sweeteners that have positive effects on the body weight as well as metabolism may facilitate in limiting the sugar intake and accomplishing the present recommendations. They are also an excellent alternative both for the consumers as well as the food industry in place of artificial sweeteners. These natural sweeteners are extracted from indigenous plants, provide insignificant calories, taste like sucrose, do not exhibit metallic after taste, and moreover, offer significant health benefits. The steviol glycosides and Luo Han Guo fruit (Monk fruit) are the natural extracts of plants, which are commercialized. In addition, numerous plant proteins such as thaumatin, brazzein, miraculin and several carbohydrates as rare sugars such as D- tagatose, D-allulose, D-sorbose and D-allose are being explored as potential substitutes to intense sweeteners which are reviewed in this paper. These are being extensively studied by the researchers for their physicochemical and functional properties and their possible use in low- calorie food formulations. They have a history of safe consumption by the natives of the country of their origin and have a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or a novel food status.

FEMA GRAS assessment of natural flavor complexes: Origanum oil, thyme oil and related phenol derivative-containing flavoring ingredients

In 2015, the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) initiated a re-evaluation of the safety of over 250 natural flavor complexes (NFCs) used as flavor ingredients, mostly consisting of a variety of essential oils and botanical extracts. This publication, seventh in the series, re-evaluates NFCs with constituent profiles dominated by phenolic derivatives including carvacrol, thymol and related compounds using a constituent-based procedure first published in 2005 and updated in 2018. The procedure is based on the chemical characterization of each NFC as intended for commerce and the estimated intake of the constituent congeneric groups. The procedure applies the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) concept and evaluates relevant data on absorption, metabolism, genotoxic potential and toxicology of the constituent congeneric groups and the NFC under evaluation. Herein, the FEMA Expert Panel affirmed the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of seven phenolic derivative-based NFCs, Origanum Oil (Extractive) (FEMA 2828), Savory Summer Oil (FEMA 3013), Savory Summer Oleoresin (FEMA 3014), Savory Winter Oil (FEMA 3016), Savory Winter Oleoresin (FEMA 3017), Thyme Oil (FEMA 3064) and Thyme White Oil (FEMA 3065) under their conditions of intended use as flavor ingredients.

Food-grade carrageenans and their implications in health and disease.

Food additives, often used to guarantee the texture, shelf-life, taste, and appearance of processed foods, have gained widespread attention due to their increased link to the growing incidence of chronic diseases. As one of the most common additives, carrageenans have been used in human diets for hundreds of years. While classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption, numerous studies since the 1980s have suggested that carrageenans, particularly those with random coil conformations, may have adverse effects on gastrointestinal health, including aggravating intestinal inflammation. While these studies have provided some evidence of adverse effects, the topic is still controversial. Some have suggested that the negative consequenceof the consumption of carrageenansmay be structure dependent. Furthermore, pre-existing conditions may predispose individuals to varied outcomes of carrageenan intake. In this review, structure-function relationships of various carrageenans in the context of food safety are discussed. We reviewed the molecular mechanisms by which carrageenans exert their biological effects. We summarized the findings associated with carrageenan intake in animal models and clinical trials. Moreover, we examined the interactions between carrageenans and the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders. This review argues for personalized guidance on carrageenan intake based on individuals' health status. Future research efforts that aim to close the knowledge gap on the effect of low-dose and chronic carrageenan intake as well as interactions among food additives should be conducive to the improved safety profile of carrageenans in processed food products.

Application of a comprehensive metabolomics approach for the selection of flaxseed varieties with the highest nutritional and medicinal attributes.

Flaxseed is considered an indispensable generally recognized as safe (GRAS) source of polyphenolic lignans, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), fibers as well as minerals and vitamins. The metabolite content of flaxseed reflects its nutritional and medicinal value. Therefore, the selection of flaxseed variety for food industry is dependent on its metabolome. A metabolomics approach based on liquid or gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry has been applied to discriminate different flaxseed cultivars that are commercially available in Egypt. The available Sakha cultivars were subjected to a comprehensive metabolomics and lipidomics approach for investigation of their metabolomes. Our results showed that among the screened cultivars, Sakha 6, with its yellow-colored testa, showed marked metabolic discrimination. This yellow cultivar showed high accumulation of essential amino acids. Additionally, the oil of this cultivar accumulated the highest content of the two essential PUFA: alpha-linolenic acid (an ω-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an ω-6 fatty acid). Interestingly, the content of the main antinutritional cyanogenic glycosides such as linustatin and neolinustatin was lower, while, the content of medicinally-important secondary metabolites was higher in Sakha 6 cultivar. These results support the use of this cultivar for human consumption owing to its high nutritional and medicinal value.

Conferring thermotolerant phenotype to wild-type Yarrowia lipolytica improves cell growth and erythritol production.

In microbial engineering, heat stress is an important environmental factor modulating cell growth, metabolic flux distribution and the synthesis of target products. Yarrowia lipolytica, as a GARS (generally recognized as safe) nonconventional yeast, has been widely used in the food industry, especially as the host of erythritol production. Biomanufacturing economics is limited by the high operational cost of cooling energy in large-scale fermentation. It is of great significance to select thermotolerant Y. lipolytica to reduce the cooling cost and elucidate the heat-resistant mechanism at molecular level. For this purpose, we performed adaptive evolution and obtained a thermotolerant strain named Y. lipolytica BBE-18. Transcriptome analysis allows us to identify four genes in thiamine metabolism pathway that are responsible for the complicated thermotolerant phenotype. The heat-resistant phenotype was validated with the model strain Y. lipolytica Po1f by overexpression of single and combined genes. Then, conferring the thermotolerant phenotype to the wild-type Y. lipolytica BBE-17 enable the strain to produce three-times more erythritol of the control strain with 3°C higher than optimal cultivation temperature. To our knowledge, this is the first report on engineering heat-resistant phenotype to improve the erythritol production in Y. lipolytica. However, due to the increase of culture temperature, a large amount of adenosine triphosphate is consumed to ensure the life activities of Y. lipolytica which limits the potential of cell synthetic products to a certain extent. Even so, this study provides a reference for Y. lipolytica to produce other products under high temperature.

Pharmaceutical cocrystals of Efavirenz: Towards the improvement of solubility, dissolution rate and stability

Efavirenz (EFV) is a Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTI) class of antiretroviral drug that is included in antiretroviral therapy to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients to increase the life-span by avoiding them to develop Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). One of the major drawbacks of EFV is its solubility in purified water (0.093 mg/L). In the present work, two cocrystals of EFV using tartaric acid (TAR) and adipic acid (ADP) as coformers that are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) are reported. Both the EFV-TAR and EFV-ADP cocrystals were developed using slow solvent evaporation technique and further characterization of developed cocrystal structures was done by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD) techniques. The SEM photomicrographs indicated that the EFV-TAR cocrystals were in needle shape with smooth surface. Its length ranged from 100 to 300 µm. The EFV-ADP cocrystals were found to be flaky needle shape with rough surface bearing irregular edges whose length ranged about 50–400 µm. The FT-IR spectra of both developed cocrystals confirmed the formation of a hydrogen bond between EFV and coformers by indicating a notable shift in –CO functional group. The DSC and PXRD studies were further confirmed the successful development of a novel crystalline form (Cocrystal). The solubility (25 ± 0.5 °C) of EFV-TAR and EFV-ADP cocrystals were found to be 163 and 107 μg/mL respectively, whereas pure EFV showed 94 μg/mL. The dissolution rate (37 ± 0.5 °C) of EFV-TAR and EFV-ADP cocrystals in 1% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) solution demonstrated 1.4 and 1.2 times increment respectively, compared to the pure EFV. The developed EFV-TAR and EFV-ADP cocrystals were found to stable for 6 months in ambient conditions (25 ± 2 °C, 60 ± 5% relative humidity).

Production Technology for Adding GDL (Glucono Delta Lactone) to Soy-Based Foods

The technology of adding Glucono Delta Lactone (GDL) to food made from soybeans is gaining popularity because it has many advantages. GDL is an acid that functions to coagulate proteins. GDL is a food additive that is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). GDL has been applied in soy-based products such as tempeh and tofu. The use of GDL in tempeh products can reduce the acidification time of tempeh to 2-3 hours so that the production capacity of tempeh can increase significantly and reduce the amount of water used in the production process. The use of GDL in tofu is as a coagulant which makes the quality of tofu better than other agglomerates. The main objective of this paper is to provides an explanation of the application of GDL to soy-based foods. So, GDL can be used as an innovation to develop soybean-based food industries. It begins from describing about GDL, provides comparison between natural soy-based food and soy-based foods with GDL from study literature. Then moves to the application of GDL in tempeh, the application of GDL in tofu, and Back-Slopping technology.

Conjugal Transfer of Antibiotic Resistances in Lactobacillus spp.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) area heterogeneous group of bacteria which are Gram-positive, facultative anaerobes and non-motile, non-spore forming, with varied shapes from cocci to coccobacilli and bacilli. Lactobacillus is the largest and most widely used bacterial species amongst LAB in fermented foods and beverages. The genus is a common member of human gut microbiome. Several species are known to provide benefits to the human gut via synergistic interactions with the gut microbiome and their ability to survive the gut environment. This ability to confer positive health effects provide them a status of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) microorganisms. Due to their various beneficial characteristics, other factors such as their resistance acquisition were overlooked. Overuse of antibiotics has made certain bacteria develop resistance against these drugs. Antibiotic resistance was found to be acquired mainly through conjugation which is a type of lateral gene transfer. Several in vitro methods of conjugation have been discussed previously depending on their success to transfer resistance. In this review, we have addressed methods that are employed to study the transfer of resistance genes using the conjugation phenomenon in lactobacilli.

Post Brexit trade with the US

Post Brexit trade with the US

Evaluation of the impact of abuse deterring agents on the physicochemical factors of tramadol-loaded tablet and the definition of new abuse deterrent index

In the design of abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs), pharmaceutical strategies that do not modify the physical and chemical properties of opioid dosage forms should be investigated. Among these, four major drug abusing factors, including particle size by physical modification, swellability, dissolution rate, and solvent extraction, were mainly characterized for evaluating abuse deterrence of narcotics. Tramadol hydrochloride (TMD) was chosen as a model drug. In this study, the frequently used eight generally recognized as safe (GRAS)-listed pharmaceutical excipients, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC 4,000, HPMC 100,000), xanthan gum (XG), cellulose acetate (CA), polyethylene oxide (PEO), carbomer 940 NF, and Compritol® 888 ATO, were selected as abuse deterring agents and used to prepare TMD-loaded tablet. A new abuse-deterrent index (ADI) for compressed TMD-loaded tablets was originally defined and considered as an index of drug abuse deterrence, based on the assumption that it was proportional to particle size and swellability but inversely proportional to dissolution and solvent extraction rates after assigning the categorized five scale scores (one to five) to the four experimental data. The resulting ADI of the selected eight abuse deterring agents in deionized water was given in decreasing order: HPMC 4000 > carbomer 940 > Compritol® 888 ATO > XG > PVA > HPMC 100,000 > PEO, and CA while in 40% hydro-alcoholic solution in the decreasing order: carbomer 940 > HPMC 4,000 ≒ XG > PVA > HPMC 100,000 > PEO > Compritol® 888 ATO > CA. Interestingly, the HPMC 4,000 and carbomer 940 showed the highest ADI and gave drug abuse deterrent potential. This study could provide a pharmaceutical strategy that utilizes a variety of abuse-deterring agents and resist to extraction solvents in designing drug abuse-deterrent formulations and establishing their standard guidelines for regulatory authorities.

Biofabrication and characterization of cyanobacteria derived ZnO NPs for their bioactivity comparison with commercial chemically synthesized nanoparticles

Due to unique properties of the nanoparticles (NPs) with biocompatibility, their application as drug in drug delievery and diagnostics, the recent scientific branch nanotechnology has emerged as hope in modern medicine. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have gained tremendous interest due to their potential use as chemotherapeutic and antimicrobial agents. They are included in the category of “generally recognized as safe (GRAS) metal oxide”. There is an urgent need for developing additional sources of ZnO NPs. Therefore, in the present study 30 cyanobacterial extracts were screened for ZnO NPs synthesis.. The color change of the reaction mixture from blue to pale white indicated the synthesis of ZnO NPs. It was further confirmed by UV–Visible spectroscopy that showed the absorption peak at 372 nm. The SEM analysis during screening revealed that Oscillatoria sp. synthesized smallest ZnO NPs (~40 nm) that were further optimized for their higher yield by altering reaction conditions (pH, temperature, reaction time, concentration of extract and metal precursor). Best conditions for ZnO NPs synthesis are (0.02 M zinc nitrate, 10 ml of extract volume, pH 8, at 80 °C for 3 h). The NPs were purified through calcination at 350°C and characterized by UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDAX, TEM, Zeta potential and DLS analysis. The comparative analysis of purified biogenic ZnO NPs with commercial chemically synthesized ZnO NPs (CS), exhibited their superior nature as antioxidant and anti-bacterial agent against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Synergistic effects of biogenic ZnO NPs and streptomycin additionally favored for their future use as a potential biomedical agent.

Biotransformation of Flavonoids by Newly Isolated and Characterized Lactobacillus pentosus NGI01 Strain from Kimchi.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) microorganisms. This study aimed to identify novel LAB strains that can transform flavonoids into aglycones to improve bioavailability. We isolated 34 LAB strains from kimchi. The biotransformation activity of these 34 LAB strains was investigated based on α-L-rhamnosidase and β-D-glucosidase activities. Among them, 10 LAB strains with high activities were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. All tested LAB strains converted hesperidin to hesperetin (12.5–30.3%). Of these, only the Lactobacillus pentosus NGI01 strain produced quercetin from rutin (3.9%). The optimal biotransformation conditions for the L. pentosus NGI01 producing hesperetin and quercetin were investigated. The highest final product concentrations of hesperetin and quercetin were 207 and 78 μM, respectively. Thus, the L. pentosus NGI01 strain can be a biocatalyst for producing flavonoid aglycones in the chemical and food industries.

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

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.