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

Aim 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. Methods and Results 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 3 ppm aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO2). After contamination and drying overnight, the average total extracted contamination for both untreated strawberries and blackberries was 4·4 log PFU. Three successive distilled H2O only treatments reduced total contamination by up to 1·8 log PFU for both strawberries and blackberries, while wash formulations showed significant (P ≤ 0·05) total reductions ranging from 2·1 to 2·9 log PFU. Conclusions 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. Significance and Impact of the Study This study indicates that industry could enhance the virologic safety of ready‐to‐eat berries by the combined use of surfactant and sanitizer.