Viruses in food: scientific advice to support risk management activities: meeting report

Overview

This report draws attention to the threat of viruse s as a risk to public health when they are present in food. Viruses require special attention because they behave differently from bacteria, and because currently used control measures typical ly either have not been validated and there is not a good understanding of their efficacy towar ds viruses, or are not effective in controlling virus contamination. Data from recent studies have shown that foodborne viral infections are very common in many parts of the world despite the measures already in place to reduce bacterial contamination.