Viruses in Fresh Leafy Herbs and Fresh Leafy Vegetables – April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021

The survey was conducted to provide enhanced oversight of the safety of fresh leafy herbs and fresh leafy vegetables sold at retail in Canada. Fresh produce including fresh leafy herbs and fresh leafy vegetables are popular among Canadians^Footnote 2, as they provide a healthy and convenient way to meet Canada's food guide^Footnote 3 recommendation to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, a wide variety of produce have been associated with recalls^Footnote 4 and foodborne illness outbreaks^Footnote 5. In Canada, among all of the known food-borne pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites), NoV is the leading cause of food-borne illnesses and hospitalizations and the second leading cause of death^Footnote 6.

Fresh produce, including leafy herbs and leafy vegetables can be contaminated with viruses through contact with human waste at any step in the food supply chain such as during production, harvest, post-harvest handling, packaging, distribution, and/or at retail. Unlike bacteria, viruses are unable to grow on foods, however they can remain viable for extended periods of time and may cause illness when ingested. Therefore the presence of viruses on produce are of concern as they are a commonly consumed by Canadians and are generally consumed raw.

The survey was conducted over a 2-year period from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

Samples were collected from national retail chains and local/regional grocery stores located in the following 11 major cities across Canada:

• Halifax
• Moncton or Saint John
• Quebec City
• Montreal
• Toronto
• Ottawa
• Vancouver
• Victoria or Kelowna
• Calgary
• Saskatoon
• Winnipeg

The planned number of samples to be collected from each city was based on the population of the province in which the city was located relative to the total population of Canada.

A total of 829 whole or trimmed fresh leafy herb and 230 whole or trimmed fresh leafy vegetable samples were collected. Imported fresh leafy herb samples were collected from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Imported and domestic fresh leafy vegetable and imported and domestic fresh leafy herb samples were collected from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. Imported samples were collected evenly throughout the year while domestic samples were collected during the summer months to reflect the domestic production season. A sample consisted of a single or multiple consumer sized packages of the same lot weighing at least 100g for fresh leafy herbs or 150g for fresh leafy vegetables.

All samples were tested for the presence of HAV and NoV GI, GII.

Samples were analyzed using methods that detect the presence of ribonucleic acid (RNA) of HAV and NoV GI, GII.

There are currently no Canadian standards regarding the presence of viruses in fresh produce. As the analytical methods used in this survey can only determine the presence or absence of viral RNA, they cannot discriminate between living (infectious) and dead (non-infectious) viruses. Therefore, the detection of viral RNA was assessed as "investigative" and required further consideration to determine appropriate follow-up actions.

HAV and NoV GI RNA were not found in any of the fresh leafy herb (n=829) or fresh leafy vegetable (n=230) samples. NoV GII RNA was not found in any of the fresh leafy vegetable samples (n=230), but was found in 1 of the fresh leafy herb (n=829) samples.

Survey results are also presented by product type (tables 3a and 3b), production practice (table 4), country of origin (table 5), and season sampled (table 6).

Previous Canadian^{Footnote 7Footnote 8Footnote 9} studies on the microbial safety of retail fresh leafy herbs and vegetables have shown results approximating those found in this study.

Overall, our survey results indicate that fresh leafy herbs and vegetables sold in Canada are generally safe for consumption, however they can occasionally be contaminated. Consequently, as with all foods, and especially with those that are consumed raw, good hygienic practices are recommended for producers, retailers, and consumers.

All results are used to:

• inform risk management decisions
• support program design and re-design

No illnesses were associated with the investigative sample. The investigative sample triggered appropriate follow-up activities which may have included:

• follow-up with the importer
• review of manufacturer production, sanitation, and distribution practices

Yes. The data will be accessible on the Open Government Portal.