In general, JEMRA emphasized the importance of prevention in controlling foodborne viruses, as viruses are environmentally persistent and resistant to many treatments commonly used to inactivate foodborne pathogens. However, effective inactivation methods continue to be necessary and are currently being evaluated. For example, surface sanitation when handling RTE and prepared food is important. Some inactivation methods can reduce viral load but may impact organoleptic properties of the foods, like high-pressure processing (HPP) for shellfish or washing produce with water containing disinfectant. Other inactivation methods have proven ineffective, like depuration in shellfish or thermal processing for hepatitis E in pork and wild game meat.

Many data gaps and research needs exist. The limited ability to routinely cultivate wild-type foodborne viruses in the laboratory is an important hindrance, as it complicates the ability to validate interventions, compare studies, or interpret monitoring data. JEMRA suggested future research into: early identification for contamination hotspots, remote sensing and hydrographic dye studies for virus dispersion prediction, indicator organisms for virus occurrence and infectivity prediction, more effective surface disinfectant and hand sanitizer formulations, scientific capacity building, vaccinations, risk assessments to better understand combinations of intervention methods, and validation of novel interventions.