Thermal inactivation of hepatitis A virus in suspension and in dried mussels (Mytilus edulis)

We examined the effects of three different temperatures (60, 85 and 100 °C) and durations of time (1 min at 100  ° C to 30 min at 60  ° C) on hepatitis A virus (HAV) in suspension and dried mussels (Mytilus edulis). In suspension, 3.61, 4.48, 5.06 and 5.66 log₁₀ tissue culture infectious dose (TCID)₅₀/mL were reduced by 60  ° C for 5 min, 60  ° C for 15 min, 60  ° C for 30 min and 85  ° C for 3 min, respectively. In dried mussels, 1.34, 1.94, 3.16, 2.36, 3.53 and 4.38 log₁₀TCID₅₀/mL were reduced by 60  ° C for 5 min, 60  ° C for 15 min, 60  ° C for 30 min, 85  ° C for 3 min, 85  ° C for 6 min and 85  ° C for 10 min, respectively. HAV inactivation from suspension and dried mussels was achieved by 85  ° C for 6 min and 15 min, respectively, and also by a 1 min at 100  ° C. At 60, 85 and 100  ° C, the 1‐log (D‐values) inactivation from both suspension and dried mussels was 6.33 and 7.93, 0.98 and 3.05, and 0.28 and 0.38 min, respectively. A higher temperature and/or a thermal treatment time shorter than 85  ° C for 6 min (100  ° C for 1 min) could be used for commercial target foods for complete HAV inactivation.