Food Microbiology - Targeted Surveys - Scientific Publication - Norovirus GI and GII and hepatitis A virus in berries and pomegranate arils in Canada, 2016 to 2021

4218 fresh and frozen berry and pomegranate aril samples collected at Canadian retail stores between 2016 and 2021. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested these samples for Norovirus GI, Norovirus GII, and Hepatitis A virus RNA. Overall prevalence of Norovirus GI and GII RNA was 0.36%, with no samples testing positive for Hepatitis A virus.

Use Cases

• Model the relationship between fruit type (berries vs. pomegranate arils) and Norovirus GI/GII RNA detection probability.
• Analyze temporal trends in virus prevalence across the 2016-2021 sampling period.
• Estimate baseline contamination rates (0.36% combined Norovirus prevalence) for foodborne illness risk models.
• Compare pathogen detection results between fresh and frozen fruit states for the same virus targets.

Strengths

• 4218 samples provide a substantial basis for prevalence estimation.
• Clear temporal coverage spanning 5 years (2016-2021).
• Testing results for three specific virus targets (Norovirus GI, GII, Hepatitis A) are provided.

Limitations

• Sample details like specific berry types, brands, or exact collection locations are not specified in the provided metadata.
• The dataset is a point-in-time survey and does not represent continuous monitoring.
• Prevalence rates are very low (0.36%), which may limit statistical power for subgroup analyses.

Provenance

Source

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Collection Method

Samples collected at retail stores across Canada and tested for viral RNA.

Time Range

2016 to 2021

Freshness

Data covers 2016-2021; metadata was last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Canada