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Foodborne Viruses: What Every Food Professional Needs to Know

Categories: Food Safety Training
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About Course

You need to have a basic understanding of the risks posed by foodborne viruses, whether you are new to the subject or already working in some aspect of food safety.

This self-paced course provides a practical introduction to the major viruses associated with food, including norovirus, hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus. It explains how these viruses can enter food supply chains, how outbreaks occur, why viruses can be difficult to control, and what food businesses can do to reduce the risk.

The course is designed for food industry professionals, technical and quality staff, auditors, students and anyone who needs a sound working knowledge of foodborne viruses – which should be everyone who works with food!

You will learn:

  • Which viruses are most important in food safety
  • How foodborne viruses are transmitted
  • Examples of real foodborne virus outbreaks and their public health, operational and financial consequences
  • Why viruses behave differently from bacteria
  • How infected food handlers can contaminate food
  • The role of shellfish, fresh produce, frozen berries and pork products
  • How viral contamination can be detected in food
  • The principles and limitations of ISO 15216 testing
  • Practical measures that can help prevent contamination and outbreaks

The course uses clear explanations, practical examples and outbreak case studies to make a complex subject accessible. Short quizzes are included throughout to reinforce the key points and help you check your understanding as you progress. No previous knowledge of virology is required.

By the end of the course, you will be able to recognise the main foodborne viral hazards, understand how food becomes contaminated, interpret virus testing information more confidently, and identify appropriate control measures within a food business.

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What Will You Learn?

  • Recognise the main foodborne viruses and the illnesses they cause. Understand how norovirus, hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus enter and move through food chains. Identify foods, processes and practices associated with increased viral risk Understand why viral hazards differ from bacterial hazards. Describe how foodborne viruses are detected and interpret testing information more confidently. Apply practical measures to prevent contamination and respond to suspected incidents

Course Content

Topic 1: Foodborne viruses and why they matter
Summary: An introduction to foodborne viruses, why they matter and how viruses differ from bacteria. This topic establishes the basic concepts needed for the rest of the course. Lessons: 1. Welcome and course overview 2. What is a virus? 3. How viruses differ from bacteria 4. Quiz: The basics!

  • Welcome and course overview
    02:47
  • What is a virus?
  • How viruses differ from bacteria
  • The basics!

Topic 2: Norovirus
Summary: This topic examines norovirus, including its discovery, symptoms, transmission, persistence and importance as a major cause of foodborne illness. Lessons: 1. The discovery of norovirus 2. What is norovirus? 3. Why norovirus is difficult to control 4. Symptoms and incubation 5. Virus shedding and asymptomatic infection 6. Why norovirus is often under-recognised 7. The burden of norovirus 8. Quiz: Understanding norovirus (6 questions)

Topic 3: Norovirus outbreaks and consequences
Summary: Real outbreak examples are used to show how norovirus contamination occurs and how outbreaks can affect public health, business operations, finances and reputation. Lessons: The German frozen strawberries outbreak The Melbourne restaurant outbreak The Japan school bread outbreak The Massachusetts bakery outbreak The Ohio doughnut shop outbreak The Wahaca restaurant outbreak, UK The Finland ice and ventilation outbreak Quiz: Lessons from foodborne norovirus outbreaks, 10 questions

Topic 4: Hepatitis A virus
Summary: This topic explains hepatitis A virus, including its symptoms, long incubation period, shedding, transmission and association with contaminated food and infected food handlers. Lessons: The discovery of hepatitis A virus What is hepatitis A virus? Why hepatitis A is difficult to control Symptoms and incubation period Virus shedding and asymptomatic infection Why hepatitis A is often under-recognised The burden and significance of hepatitis A Quiz: Understanding hepatitis A virus, 10 questions

Topic 5: Hepatitis A outbreaks and consequences
This topic examines real foodborne hepatitis A incidents involving bakery products, frozen berries, dates and pomegranate seeds. The case studies show how pre-symptomatic food handlers, contaminated imported ingredients, long incubation periods and international distribution can result in delayed recognition, extensive recalls and substantial public-health and commercial consequences.

Topic 6: Hepatitis E virus
Summary: An introduction to hepatitis E virus as a zoonotic foodborne hazard, with particular emphasis on transmission from pigs and pork products, virus survival, cooking and the people most vulnerable to severe illness. Lessons: 1. Hepatitis E virus 2. The discovery of hepatitis E virus 3. Symptoms and clinical outcomes 4. Hepatitis E genotypes and transmission routes 5. Pigs, pork products and foodborne transmission 6. Virus survival and the importance of cooking 7. The burden and significance of hepatitis E 8. Quiz: Understanding hepatitis E virus

Topic 7: How Viruses Enter and Move Through the Food Chain
Summary: This topic explains how viruses enter and move through food chains, including contamination involving water, sewage, workers, harvesting, processing and animal reservoirs. Lessons: 1. Main contamination pathways 2. Why viruses attach to fresh produce 3. Sewage-contaminated irrigation water 4. Harvesting and worker hygiene 5. Washing and processing 6. Global supply chains and traceability 7. Fresh and frozen berries and other fresh produce 8. Shellfish 9. How hepatitis E virus can enter the food chain 10. Limitations of bacterial indicators 11. Quiz: How viruses enter and move through the food chain

Topic 8: Prevention and control of foodborne viruses
This topic explains the practical measures that can be used to prevent and control foodborne viruses. Because viruses don’t multiply in food, control is mainly concerned with preventing contamination and interrupting transmission. Once food has become contaminated, washing, freezing and routine processing may not reliably remove the risk. The lessons consider controls across the food chain, including: - water quality and primary production - supplier approval and traceability - food handler illness and hygiene - cleaning and disinfection - food processing and cooking - product-specific controls - responding to a suspected virus incident No single measure can control every foodborne virus. Effective control normally depends on several measures working together and being appropriate to the virus, food and contamination route involved. The purpose of this topic isn’t to provide a universal control plan. It is to explain the main principles and help food professionals recognise where virus-specific controls may be required. Learning outcomes By the end of this lesson, you should be able to: - explain why preventing contamination is central to foodborne virus control - describe the main layers of a virus-control system - recognise why controls must be selected according to the virus, food and contamination route

Topic 9: Virus detection and interpretation
Summary: An accessible introduction to virus detection in food, including RT-qPCR, ISO 15216, sample recovery, Ct values and the limitations of interpreting test results. Lessons: 1. When should food be tested? 2. Why virus testing of foods is difficult 3. Introduction to molecular detection 4. RT-PCR and RT-qPCR 5. ISO 15216 standard method for the detection of viruses 6. Sample extraction and concentration 7. Process controls and recovery efficiency 8. Understanding Ct values 9. Detection and infectivity - does it matter? 10. Interpreting negative results 11. Testing capacity and laboratory limitations 12. Quiz: Detection and interpretation

Topic 10: Guidelines and the current regulatory status of viruses in food
This topic explains the current regulatory and guidance framework for managing viruses in food. It examines the limited use of virus-specific microbiological criteria, the role of international guidance and standards, the responsibilities of food businesses, and the gap between recognised viral risk and routine regulatory control.

Topic 11: Key lessons and practical takeaways
This final topic brings together the main lessons from the course. It reviews the most important differences between foodborne viruses and bacteria, the principal contamination routes, the limits of testing and regulation, and the practical controls that reduce risk.

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