Thermal inactivation kinetics of hepatitis A virus in spinach

• Inactivation rate coefficient of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in spinach was directly proportional to temperature.
• Industrial blanching conditions (100 °C for 120–180 s) should provide > 6 log HAV reduction.
• Precise thermal inactivation data was described to design industrial blanching processes.

Leafy vegetables have been recognized as important vehicles for the transmission of foodborne viral pathogens. To control hepatitis A viral foodborne illness outbreaks associated with mildly heated (e.g., blanched) leafy vegetables such as spinach, generation of adequate thermal processes is important both for consumers and the food industry. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the thermal inactivation behavior of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in spinach, and provide insights on HAV inactivation in spinach for future studies and industrial applications. The D-values calculated from the first-order model (50–72 °C) ranged from 34.40 ± 4.08 to 0.91 ± 0.12 min with a z-value of 13.92 ± 0.87 °C. The calculated activation energy value was 162 ± 11 kJ/mol. Using the information generated in the present study and the thermal parameters of industrial blanching conditions for spinach as a basis (100 °C for 120–180 s), the blanching of spinach in water at 100 °C for 120–180 s under atmospheric conditions will provide greater than 6 log reduction of HAV. The results of this study may be useful to the frozen food industry in designing blanching conditions for spinach to inactivate or control hepatitis A virus outbreaks.