The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has reiterated its advice to consumers to boil all imported frozen berries at least one minute prior to consumption. There remains an ongoing risk in the global imported frozen berry supply chain with a number of food alerts being issued across Europe for viruses in frozen berries this year.
FSAI says that imported frozen berries should be boiled for at least one minute before they are eaten. This precautionary measure will destroy any viruses if they are present and is particularly important when serving these foods to vulnerable people.
Frozen imported berries are widely used in the food industry and distributed into the food service sector for use in cooked and ready-to-eat dishes. Therefore, food businesses using or selling imported frozen berries need to ensure that the berries they use are sourced from reputable suppliers operating effective food safety management systems and comprehensive traceability systems.