Cranberry vs Noro: A New Approach to Treating Produce for Norovirus

With all the craze around COVID-19, it’s hard to even imagine that any other virus poses any risk to human health. But you can rest assured, scientists are still looking for ways to combat our greatest microscopic foes such as the infamous norovirus. Norovirus - a member of the caliciviridae family - ravages dorms, cruise ships and any communities in close quarters, and they take refuge in foods to disperse gastroenteritis to unsuspecting victims worldwide. Noro is also hardy for a virus as they are resistant to cold pasteurization such as irradiation that is used to kill other microbes. In order to kill the virus, the produce would need to be treated with high dose X-rays that destroy the chemical properties of the plants. Recently, researchers found that organic acids and polyphenol in cranberry juice and citrus extract alters the viral protein structure in norovirus and makes them susceptible to normal pasteurization treatments. The technique is an exciting new approach to safely and naturally eliminate the dangerous Norovirus using ingredients that will not harm the consumer or strip nutrients that make fresh fruits and vegetables worth eating. 

~Avi Kaye

Article: Gobeil et al. Radiosensitivity increase in FCV‐F9 virus using combined treatments with natural antimicrobials and γ‐irradiation. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14596