Persistence and viability of SARS-CoV-2 lineages B.1 and EG.5.1 on plant-based foods: Implications for food safety and transmission

Five years post-emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) the route of transmission through fomites is still discussed. Therefore, in the present study ten plant-based foods (apple, grape, fennel, carrot, lettuce, celery, tomato, radish, rocket, and cucumber). The matrices were artificially contaminated by spraying 50 μL of viral solution, and RNA persistence and viral viability were assessed via RT-qPCR, Vero E6 cell inoculum, and TCID50 assays, and analysed at seven time points (0.5–96 h post-contamination). The EG.5.1 variant demonstrated longer environmental stability, with viral RNA detectable on all matrices up to 96 h post-contamination except for celery (24 h), while lineage B.1 RNA was less persistent, particularly on carrot and rocket (24–48 h, respectively). Conversely, B.1 remained viable up to 4 h on most matrices, while EG.5.1 viability ceased by 30 min on grape, fennel, lettuce, and celery. These results suggest that while food preparation practices such as washing and thermal processing effectively reduce the risk of viral presence, post-processing contamination may facilitate fomite-mediated transmission, particularly via raw products. These findings contribute to the ongoing evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and highlight the importance of stringent hygiene practices throughout the food supply chain.