Investigation of Common Foodborne Virus Contamination in Commercially Available Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, and Their Ready-To-Eat Products in Shijiazhuang, China

Abstract

To investigate the contamination status of foodborne viruses in fresh fruits, vegetables, and their ready-to-eat (RTE) products sold in Shijiazhuang, China, a total of 365 samples were collected from farmers’ markets, fresh produce stores, and large supermarkets between 2024 and 2025. Samples were tested for Norovirus (NoV) GI, NoV GII, Hepatitis A virus (HAV), Paslahepevirus balayani (HEV), Classic Human astrovirus (HAstV), and Sapovirus (SaV) using quantitative multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (MRT-qPCR). Overall, foodborne viruses were detected in 93 samples (25.48%, 93/365). Detection rates of NoV GI, NoV GII, HAV, HEV, HAstV, and SaV were 11.78% (43/365), 9.04% (33/365), 0.27% (1/365), 4.93% (18/365), 0.27% (1/365), and 2.19% (8/365), respectively, with Norovirus being the dominant contaminant. The mixed contamination rate was 2.47% (9/365), mainly involving dual-virus contamination. Contamination was highest in coriander (32.50%, 13/40), followed by cherry tomatoes (31.82%, 21/66) and blueberries (30.77%, 20/65). The detection rate of foodborne viruses in fresh produce (26.89%, 89/331) was higher than that in RTE products (11.76%, 4/34) (χ² = 7.170, P < 0.05), and significantly higher in summer (42.31%, 33/78) than in other seasons (20.91%, 60/287) (χ² = 14.80, P < 0.01). Additionally, there was no significant difference in contamination rates among samples collected from different sources (χ² = 2.95, P > 0.05). This study provides the first characterization of foodborne virus contamination in commercially available fresh fruits and vegetables and their RTE products in Shijiazhuang, highlighting potential public health risks and supporting strengthened food safety surveillance.