Research at the NRL for Foodborne Viruses

The NRL for Foodborne Viruses carries out research on viruses in food in line with its legal tasks. As investigations on foodborne viruses were difficult in the past due to the absence of suitable detection systems, one of its focal research points is the development of efficient methods for the detection and further characterization of viruses in foods.

Research focus of the NRL for Foodborne Viruses:

• Development and validation of sensitive and specific molecular biological methods for the detection of viruses in food
• Development of methods for quantification of viruses in food
• Establishment of improved techniques for typing and characterization of foodborne viruses
• Improvement of cell culture systems for propagation of foodborne viruses in order to assess virus infectivity and to generate reference material
• Stability studies on viruses in food
• Investigations on the distribution of viruses in food and animal reservoirs