Pressure inactivation of hepatitis A virus in strawberry puree and sliced green onions

Abstract

Hepatitis A can be acquired by ingesting contaminated produce. To investigate the potential of high-pressure processing as an intervention strategy for virus in produce, strawberry puree and sliced green onions were inoculated with >106 PFU of hepatitis A virus and treated with pressures ranging from 225 to 375 megapascals (MPa) in 25-MPa increments at ambient temperature. Subsequent virus extraction and plaque assay determined that hepatitis A virus was inactivated in strawberry puree and sliced green onions after 5-min exposures to pressures of 375 MPa with log PFU reductions of 4.32 and 4.75, respectively. Hepatitis A virus was equally sensitive in puree and onions at pressures ≥350 MPa. For treatments of <325 MPa, the virus was more sensitive to pressure in strawberry puree than in sliced onions with log reductions of 1.2, 2.06, and 3.13 observed for strawberries and 0.28, 0.72, and 1.42 observed for onions after 5-min treatments at 250, 275, and 300 MPa, respectively. Although high-pressure processing may cause some organoleptic alterations to strawberries and onions, results show high-pressure processing will inactivate hepatitis A virus in these foods.