High-pressure processing of pork liver reduces the infectivity of the hepatitis E virus

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute and chronic hepatitis in humans. The zoonotic HEV genotype 3 (HEV-3) is present in various animal species, including pigs, wild boars, and other game animals. Foodborne transmission with the consumption of raw or undercooked pork products is the major transmission route of HEV-3. HEV RNA has been detected in various types of food, but particularly in pork liver-based food products. High hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) can be used for the inactivation of pathogens in food. In the present study, the impact of HPP treatments was evaluated on HEV-3 infectivity in raw pork liver. Different pressure/time combinations (500 MPa for 1 or 5 min, 600 MPa for 1, 5, or 10 min) were applied to raw pork livers, artificially contaminated with HEV-3 (8.3 log₁₀ HEV ge/g). Residual HEV infectivity was evaluated using the HepaRG cell culture model in p-24 well plates. The results obtained have shown the absence of residual infectious HEV particles in pork liver after a treatment of 600 MPa, during 1 min in a refrigerated room at +8°C. Then, liver sausages were prepared with pork liver treated at 600 MPa for 1 min. Technological measurements showed that the treatment had a significant impact on brightness, firmness, red hue, and cohesiveness. Nevertheless, these differences have not been perceived after food testing, which highlighted no major difference in taste or color. Thus, inactivation of HEV-3 in raw pork liver by HPP is a possible treatment to limit the risk of HEV exposure through food consumption.

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the leading cause of enterically transmitted acute hepatitis worldwide. It can have a zoonotic origin through the consumption of infected meat. Pigs are the main reservoir of zoonotic HEV, and pork livers are frequently contaminated by HEV. In the present study, we investigated the use of high-pressure processing (HPP) to inactivate HEV-3 in pork liver. This study is the first to identify HPP treatment parameters that can be applied to pork liver to reduce HEV infectivity. Additionally, it is the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of processing HPP-treated pork liver into food products, such as dry liver sausage.