Introduction
For a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan to work well, it is important to first identify and understand all possible food safety risks. To help with this key step, we have created several detailed hazard analysis tables that cover a wide range of contaminants.
The information below focuses on specific biological hazards: viruses and prions. Although distinctly different in nature, both represent significant concerns for food safety that require highly specific control measures. The hazard table provided gives a complete overview of these categories, showing potential hazards, their common sources, effective prevention strategies, and listing the critical control points (CCPs) and checks needed for their management.
Because the table contains a lot of detailed information spread across many columns, it is best to download the file to see it properly.
What are Viruses?
A viral hazard refers to the presence of pathogenic viruses in food, such as Norovirus or Hepatitis A, which can cause illness in consumers. Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot grow in food; they use food merely as a vehicle for transmission.
These particles primarily enter the food supply through human or environmental contamination. The most common routes include infected food handlers with poor personal hygiene, contaminated water (used for irrigation, washing, or in ice), or foods harvested from contaminated water (like shellfish).
To protect consumers, control measures are almost entirely focused on prevention. Key controls include strict personal hygiene protocols for food handlers (especially hand washing and exclusion of sick staff), sourcing from approved water supplies, and ensuring adequate cooking, as many viruses are heat-sensitive.
iMIS Food -Biological Hazards - Viruses Table
| Name | Morphology | Origin | Food Products | Health Effects | Regulation (EU) | Prevention | Inactivation Parameters | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) |
Picornaviridae ssRNA (+) Non-enveloped |
Human intestinal tract. Route: Faecal-oral (infected handlers, contaminated water/food). |
RTE foods, bivalve molluscs (oysters, clams), fresh produce (berries). | Infectious hepatitis: Fever, malaise, nausea, jaundice. Onset: ~28 days. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. ∙ Reg. (EC) No 853/2004 & (EU) 2019/627: Rules for shellfish. |
∙ Strict personal hygiene. ∙ Exclusion of ill staff. ∙ Safe sourcing (water, shellfish). ∙ Vaccination. |
Inactivation: High-concentration chlorine, high heat (≥90°C). Resistance: Alcohol, low pH, drying, freezing. Very stable. |
Does not cause chronic disease. Outbreaks often linked to imported produce. |
| Hepatitis E Virus (HEV; Genotype 3 & 4) |
Hepeviridae ssRNA (+) Non-enveloped |
Zoonotic reservoir (pigs, wild boar). Route: Consumption of undercooked meat/offal. |
Raw or undercooked pork (liver, sausages), wild boar, deer meat. | Infectious hepatitis: Fever, fatigue, jaundice. Often asymptomatic. Severe for pregnant women. Onset: ~40 days. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. ∙ Reg. (EC) No 853/2004: Hygienic handling of meat. |
∙ Thorough cooking of pork and game meat. ∙ Avoid cross-contamination. |
Inactivation: High heat (≥71°C). Resistance: Alcohol, low pH, drying, freezing. Very stable. |
Recognized foodborne pathogen in Europe, linked to pork. |
| Rotavirus (Groups A, B, C) |
Reoviridae dsRNA Non-enveloped |
Human intestinal tract (children). Route: Faecal-oral (handlers, water, food). |
RTE foods, bivalve molluscs, fresh produce. | Viral gastroenteritis: Severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting. Major cause of dehydration in children. Onset: ~48 hours. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. | ∙ Strict personal hygiene. ∙ Exclusion of ill staff. ∙ Sanitation. |
Inactivation: Alcohol, heating. Resistance: QACs, phenolics, low pH, drying, freezing. Very stable. |
Mainly concerns children. Vaccines are available. |
| Sapovirus (SaV) |
Caliciviridae ssRNA (+) Non-enveloped |
Human intestinal tract. Route: Faecal-oral (handlers, water, food). |
RTE foods, bivalve molluscs, fresh produce. | Viral gastroenteritis: Diarrhoea, vomiting, pain. Onset: ~1-3 days. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. ∙ Reg. (EC) No 853/2004 & (EU) 2019/627: Rules for shellfish. |
∙ Strict personal hygiene. ∙ Exclusion of ill staff. ∙ Safe sourcing (water, shellfish). |
Inactivation: Chlorine, high heat (≥90°C). Resistance: Alcohol, low pH, drying, freezing. Very stable. |
Less common than Norovirus; affects children/elderly. |
| Astrovirus (AstV) |
Astroviridae ssRNA (+) Non-enveloped |
Human intestinal tract. Route: Faecal-oral (handlers, water, food). |
RTE foods, bivalve molluscs, fresh produce. | Viral gastroenteritis: Diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, fever. Onset: ~1-4 days. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. ∙ Reg. (EC) No 853/2004 & (EU) 2019/627: Rules for shellfish. |
∙ Strict personal hygiene. ∙ Exclusion of ill staff. ∙ Safe sourcing (water, shellfish). |
Inactivation: Chlorine, alcohol, heating (≥60°C). Resistance: QACs, low pH, freezing, drying. Very stable. |
Common cause of gastroenteritis in children/elderly. |
| Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) |
Flaviviridae ssRNA (+) Enveloped |
Zoonotic reservoir (rodents). Route: Ticks infect ruminants; shed in milk. |
Unpasteurised (raw) dairy products from endemic areas. | Tick-borne encephalitis: Biphasic illness, initial flu-like phase, can progress to severe neurological disease. Onset: ~7-14 days. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. ∙ Reg. (EC) No 853/2004: Requires milk pasteurisation. |
∙ Pasteurisation of milk (critical control). ∙ Avoid raw dairy from endemic areas. |
Inactivation: Alcohol, detergents, pasteurization. Resistance: Low pH, freezing. Not stable on dry surfaces. |
Rarer than tick bites. Pasteurisation eliminates risk. |
| Enteric Adenovirus (Serotypes 40, 41) |
Adenoviridae dsDNA Non-enveloped |
Human intestinal tract. Route: Faecal-oral (handlers, water, food). |
RTE foods, bivalve molluscs. | Viral gastroenteritis: Prolonged diarrhoea, vomiting, fever. Onset: ~3-10 days. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. | ∙ Strict personal hygiene. ∙ Exclusion of ill staff. ∙ Safe sourcing (water, shellfish). |
Inactivation: Chlorine, UV, heating (≥56°C). Resistance: Alcohol, QACs, low pH, freezing, drying. Very stable. |
Significant cause of childhood diarrhoea. |
| Enteroviruses (Poliovirus, Coxsackievirus, Echovirus) |
Picornaviridae ssRNA (+) Non-enveloped |
Human intestinal tract. Route: Faecal-oral (water, food). |
RTE foods, bivalve molluscs. | Variable: Asymptomatic to severe disease (polio, meningitis, hand-foot-mouth). Onset: Variable. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 852/2004: GHP. ∙ Reg. (EC) No 853/2004 & (EU) 2019/627: Rules for shellfish. |
∙ Strict personal hygiene. ∙ Exclusion of ill staff. ∙ Safe sourcing. ∙ Vaccination (Polio). |
Inactivation: Chlorine, UV, heating (≥60°C). Resistance: Alcohol, QACs, low pH, freezing. Very stable. |
Often spread person-to-person. Polio nearly eradicated. |
Download and Print the Viruses Hazards Table
What are Prions?
Prions (prion protein-infectious particles) are unique infectious agents that are misfolded proteins, not living organisms. They are responsible for a group of rare, progressive neurodegenerative diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow disease," being the most relevant to food safety.
These agents are transmitted through the consumption of infected animal tissue, specifically Specified Risk Materials (SRMs). SRMs are tissues where prions accumulate at high concentrations, such as the brain, spinal cord, and certain parts of the nervous system of infected cattle.
Control measures are fundamentally different from other hazards because prions are extremely resistant to heat (including normal cooking and pasteurization), chemicals, and irradiation. Therefore, control relies entirely on preventive measures at the farm and slaughterhouse. These include banning animal-derived proteins from cattle feed (preventing cross-contamination) and the mandatory removal and destruction of all SRMs from the food chain.
iMIS Food - Biological Hazards - Prions Table
| Name | Morphology | Origin | Food Products | Health Effects | Regulation (EU) | Prevention | Inactivation | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) |
Misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) | Classical: Infectious via contaminated feed (MBM). Atypical: Arises spontaneously. |
Beef and cattle. Specified Risk Materials (SRM) from infected cattle (e.g., brain, spinal cord). |
Humans: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) - Fatal. Animals: Fatal neurodegeneration. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 999/2001 (TSE Regulation): Mandates feed ban and SRM removal. |
∙ Feed ban enforcement. ∙ SRM removal. ∙ Surveillance and testing. ∙ Removal of positive animals. ∙ Import controls. |
Extremely Resistant. Ineffective: Cooking, pasteurization, irradiation, UV. Effective: Incineration, harsh chemicals. |
Classical BSE is zoonotic. Long incubation period. |
| Scrapie (Classical & atypical/Nor98) |
Misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) | Classical: Infectious (environment, birth fluids). Atypical: Arises spontaneously. |
Sheep and goat meat and offal. Specified Risk Materials (SRM) from infected animals (e.g., brain, spleen). |
Humans: Not zoonotic. Animals: Fatal neurodegeneration. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 999/2001 (TSE Regulation): Mandates surveillance and SRM removal. |
∙ Feed ban enforcement. ∙ SRM removal. ∙ Surveillance and testing. ∙ Removal of positive animals. ∙ Import controls. |
Extremely resistant. Ineffective: Cooking, pasteurization, irradiation, UV. Effective: Incineration, harsh chemicals. |
Endemic in many regions. Long incubation. |
| Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) |
Misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) | Infectious transmission among cervids (deer, elk etc.) via contact and environment. | Meat and offal from cervids (venison). Specified Risk Materials (SRM) from infected animals (e.g., brain, lymph nodes). |
Humans: Zoonotic potential uncertain. Advice against consuming CWD-positive animals. Animals: Fatal neurodegeneration. |
∙ Reg. (EC) No 999/2001 (TSE Regulation): Mandates surveillance and control measures. |
∙ Surveillance and testing. ∙ Removal of positive animals. ∙ Avoiding consumption of positive animals. ∙ Proper carcass disposal. |
Extremely resistant. Ineffective: Cooking, pasteurization, irradiation, UV. Effective: Incineration, harsh chemicals. |
Spreading in North America & Europe. Prions persist in environment. Zoonotic risk under research. |
Download and Print the Prions Hazards Table
Comprehensive compliance with iMIS Food
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