Antibiofilm Strategies in the Food Industry

Abstract

Biofilms in food processing plants represent not only a problem to human health but also cause economic losses by technical failure in several systems. In fact, many foodborne outbreaks have been found to be associated with biofilms. Biofilms may be prevented by regular cleaning and disinfection, but this does not completely prevent biofilm formation. Besides, due to their diversity and to the development of specialized phenotypes, it is well known that biofilms are more resistant to cleaning and disinfection than planktonic microorganisms. In recent years, a considerable effort has been made in the prevention of microbial adhesion and biofilm formation on food processing surfaces and novel technologies have been introduced. In this context, this chapter discusses the main conventional and emergent strategies that have been employed to prevent bacterial adhesion to food processing surfaces and thus to efficiently maintain good hygiene throughout the food industries.

The Prevalence and Control of Bacillus and Related Spore-Forming Bacteria in the Dairy Industry

“…Therefore, novel and improved control approaches must be introduced to maintain the quality and safety of dairy products. A summary of a few emerging control strategies will be presented in this review and readers are directed to reviews dedicated to novel and emerging methods of biofilm control for a comprehensive insight into the subject ( Simões et al, 2010 ; Teixeira and Rodrigues, 2014 ).…”

“… Khadre et al (2001) have demonstrated that molecular ozone and its decomposition products, e.g., hydroxyl radicals, react with intracellular enzymes, nucleic materials and components of the cell envelope and spore coats to inactivate bacteria and, hence, disintegrate biofilms. However, despite having strong antimicrobial properties, ozone is unstable and quickly degenerates into its by-products, water and oxygen, before it can act on microorganisms ( Teixeira and Rodrigues, 2014 ).…”

“…Despite being a powerful tool as it can reach biofilms in cracks and crevices, ultrasonication alone cannot completely dislodge all biofilms. As noted above, perhaps through its use in combination with other antimicrobial agents (also including EDTA or ozonation), it can prove to be efficient ( Baumann et al, 2009 ; Teixeira and Rodrigues, 2014 ).…”

The effect of process parameters on the structure, photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties of TiO2 and Ag-TiO2 coatings deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering

“…The antimicrobial potential of coatings are relevant to their selfcleaning properties and can affect their use in surfaces used within food and medical environments [35,36]. Initial investigations were carried out on Ti-I coatings against E. coli (Fig.…”