Non-thermal processing technologies and viral viability assays: Key approaches for studying human norovirus (HuNoV) in foods

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are the leading cause of foodborne and waterborne viral gastroenteritis globally. To mitigate the risks posed by this enteric virus, it is essential to identify effective non-thermal technologies for inactivating HuNoV, alongside reliable methods to assess viral infectivity. This dual approach, combining viral inactivation technologies with infectivity assays, will help the food industry and regulatory authorities in ensuring public health. The aim of this PhD thesis is to evaluate the efficacy of two non-thermal technologies, High Pressure Processing (HPP) and Plasma-Activated Seawater (PASW), for inactivating HuNoV and its surrogates in high-risk food items such as berries and shellfish. The study employs RT-qPCR and viability RT-qPCR assays, in addition to traditional and advanced cell culture techniques such as the novel Human Intestinal Enteroid (HIE) system, to assess HuNoV viral inactivation and infectivity.