Laboratory procedures

The main purpose for the EURL and the NRL network for Foodborne Viruses is to harmonise methods used for official control of viruses in food. Noroviruses and hepatitis A virus are the most important viruses that pose a threat to public health.

Detection of foodborne viruses, as norovirus and hepatitis A virus, include many complications. The recommended methods to overcome most of those are ISO 15216 part 1 and part 2.

To support National Reference Laboratories and other laboratories the EURL publish Standard operating procedures (SOPs) that describe specific parts of ISO 15216.

The EURL is continuously trying to improve the standard procedures and also implement and develop methods not covered by ISO 15216. One of the areas are genotyping of noroviruses using Next Generation Sequencing. Protocols are currently developed and we hope to have an SOP published early 2025. Meanwhile you can find NGS supporting documents produced by the inter EURL working group for NGS through the Next Generation Sequencing link in the menu beside.
Reviewed 2024-11-19