Outbreaks of human norovirus are commonly attributed to fresh produce and multi-ingredient foods that have received significant handling... Show moreOutbreaks of human norovirus are commonly attributed to fresh produce and multi-ingredient foods that have received significant handling immediately prior to consumption. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of gloved and ungloved hands on norovirus transfer during fresh produce preparation. The palm and fingers of bare or gloved (polyvinyl, vinyl or nitrile) hands were inoculated with approximately 7-log PFU/hand murine norovirus (MNV-1). Freshly chopped Romaine lettuce was handled by the contaminated hands, and then sampled to determine the transfer coefficient. MNV-1 transfer was also measured from chopped contaminated lettuce to clean bare or gloved hands. In addition, pulsed light was investigated, in a preliminary study, for its ability to inactivate MNV-1 on the surface of food contact surfaces including the various glove types and Romaine lettuce, and thus prevent the spread of contamination. Transfer of MNV-1 occurred more readily to (up to 45%) Romaine lettuce than from (less than 12%) it. Transfer to Romaine lettuce was greater (p<0.05) from vinyl gloves than bare hands and the other glove types tested, while no significant difference (p>0.05) in transfer from lettuce to the different glove types was observed. The results indicate that norovirus transfer can occur readily in a food service setting, and that transfer coefficients are affected by the type of surfaces involved. MNV-1 was reduced by pulsed light by >4-log within 30 sec on all surfaces except nitrile gloves, indicating the potential for this technology to be employed in a food service setting to control the spread of noroviruses during food preparation. M.S. in Food Safety and Technology, May 2013 Show less
