Pathogenic Biofilm Formation in the Food Industry and Alternative Control Strategies

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of microorganisms isolated from the dairy industry to form biofilms and to investigate the efficacity of organic peroxyacids (peracetic, perpropionic and perlactic acids and BioDestroy®) to eradicate those biofilms. Eighteen microorganisms were isolated from Quebec dairy processing plants that have issues associated with biofilm formation and were presumptively identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The single-species biofilm-producing ability of the isolates was then evaluated using 96-well microplates. Eight out of eighteen (8/18) of these isolates were identified as moderate or strong biofilm producers, and ten out of eighteen (10/18) resulted as negative or weak biofilm producers. The efficacy of above-mentioned disinfectants was tested on the stronger biofilm producing bacteria using the MBEC (Minimum Biofilm Eradication Concentration) assay. After 5 min, all the disinfectants tested successfully eradicated both the single and mixed biofilms when applied following the recommended concentration. However, the efficacy of organic peroxyacids was significantly variable at lower concentrations. For example, 25 ppm of BioDestroy® were sufficient to eradicate all the biofilms, except for Pseudomonas azotoformans PFl1A. Unfortunately, microscopic observations highlighted those dead cells were still attached to the surfaces. In conclusion, our results suggest that some microorganisms found in dairy plants can produce tenacious biofilms that are, however, still susceptible to disinfectants, including organic peroxyacids. Further studies would be needed in order to confirm these observations using a dynamic method to mimic in vivo conditions. IMPORTANCE Biofilm forming microorganisms are a major issue in the food industry, including dairy industry, because of their negative impact on products quality. Biofilms are difficult to remove by clean-in-place (CIP) procedures commonly used in processing plants and may be less sensitive to sanitizers. Therefore, it is important to identify these microorganisms, in order to develop biofilm control strategies. The results gathered in the present study could contribute to this aim, even though it was carried out using only static methods.

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Antimicrobial and Immunomodulating Activities of Two Endemic Nepeta Species and Their Major Iridoids Isolated from Natural Sources

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14050414 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 414

Author(s):

Neda Aničić ◽

Uroš Gašić ◽

Feng Lu ◽

Ana Ćirić ◽

Marija Ivanov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Balkan Peninsula ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Natural Sources ◽

E Coli ◽

Food Borne ◽

Metabolite Profiles ◽

Aspergillus Sp ◽

First Time

Two Balkan Peninsula endemics, Nepeta rtanjensis and N. argolica subsp. argolica, both characterized by specialized metabolite profiles predominated by iridoids and phenolics, are differentiated according to the stereochemistry of major iridoid aglycone nepetalactone (NL). For the first time, the present study provides a comparative analysis of antimicrobial and immunomodulating activities of the two Nepeta species and their major iridoids isolated from natural sources—cis,trans-NL, trans,cis-NL, and 1,5,9-epideoxyloganic acid (1,5,9-eDLA), as well as of phenolic acid rosmarinic acid (RA). Methanol extracts and pure iridoids displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against eight strains of bacteria and seven strains of fungi. They were especially potent against food-borne pathogens such as L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. aureus, Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus sp. Targeted iridoids were efficient agents in preventing biofilm formation of resistant P. aeruginosa strain, and they displayed additive antimicrobial interaction. Iridoids are, to a great extent, responsible for the prominent antimicrobial activities of the two Nepeta species, although are probably minor contributors to the moderate immunomodulatory effects. The analyzed iridoids and RA, individually or in mixtures, have the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical industry as potent antimicrobials, and in the food industry to increase the shelf life and safety of food products.

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Susceptibility to Enterocins and Lantibiotic Bacteriocins of Biofilm-Forming Enterococci Isolated from Slovak Fermented Meat Products Available on the Market

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17249586 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (24) ◽

pp. 9586

Author(s):

Andrea Lauková ◽

Anna Kandričáková ◽

Eva Bino

Keyword(s):

Enterococcus Faecalis ◽

Enterococcus Faecium ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Meat Products ◽

Low Grade ◽

Enterococcus Hirae ◽

Conventional Antibiotics ◽

Enterocin A

This study investigated eight types of Slovak dry fermented meat products (salami and sausages) that are available on the market and were produced by three different producers in different regions of Slovakia. The total counts of enterococci in these products ranged from 2.0 up to 6.0 cfu/g (log10). Three species were identified among the 15 selected enterococcal strains; Enterococcus faecium (8 strains), Enterococcus faecalis (3) and Enterococcus hirae (4). They were hemolysis-negative (γ-hemolysis) with a biofilm-forming ability, which was evaluated as low-grade biofilm formation, susceptible to conventional antibiotics and mainly susceptible to lantibiotic bacteriocins, namely, gallidermin and nisin; they even showed a higher susceptibility to gallidermin than to nisin. They were also susceptible to enterocin–durancin, but most strains showed resistance to enterocin A/P. This study indicated that bacteriocins can play a key role in preventing and/or protecting from undesirable bacterial multiplication or contamination in the food industry and that they have great potential for further experimental applications.

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Review of Pseudomonas Attachment and Biofilm Formation in Food Industry

Poultry Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences ◽

10.4172/2375-446x.1000126 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 03 (01) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Amina Meliani ◽

Ahmed Bensoltane

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry

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Food Safety and Employee Health Implications of COVID-19

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/jfp-21-201 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Aljosa Trmcic ◽

Elizabeth Demmings ◽

Kalmia Kniel ◽

Martin Wiedmann ◽

Samuel David Alcaine

Keyword(s):

Food Safety ◽

Food Supply ◽

Food Industry ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Control Culture ◽

Safety Risks ◽

The Face ◽

Effective Program

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the US food supply and consumer behavior. Food production and processing are being disrupted as illnesses, proactive quarantines, and government-mandated movement restrictions cause labor shortages. In this environment, the food industry has been required to adopt new, additional practices to minimize the risk of COVID-19 cases and outbreaks among its workforce. Successfully overcoming these challenges requires a comprehensive approach that addresses COVID-19 transmission both within and outside the facility; possible interventions include strategies to (i) vaccinate employees, (ii) assure that employees practice social distancing, (iii) assure that employees wear face coverings, (iv) screen employees for COVID-19 (v) assure that employees practice frequent handwashing and avoid touching their faces, (vi) clean frequently touched surfaces, and (vii) assure proper ventilation. Compliance with these control strategies needs to be verified and an overall “COVID-19 control culture” needs to be established to facilitate an effective program. Despite some public misperceptions about SARS-CoV-2 presence on foods or food packaging representing a public health risk, it is important to note that both the virus’ biology and epidemiological data clearly support a negligible risk of COVID-19 transmission through food and food packing. However, COVID-19 pandemic related supply chain and workforce disruptions, as well as the shift in resources to protect food industry employees from COVID-19 may increase the actual food safety risks. The goal of this paper is to review the COVID-19 mitigation practices adopted by the food industry, and the potential impact of these practices and COVID-19 related disruptions on the industry’s food safety mission. A review of these impacts is necessary to ensure that the food industry is prepared to maintain a safe and nutritious food supply in the face of future global disruptions.

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Biofilm Formation and Methylene Blue-mediated Photodynamic Inactivation of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus in the Sea Food Industry

Nutrition & Food Science International journal ◽

10.19080/nfsij.2020.10.555787 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Xiaoting Zhang ◽

Qian Wu ◽

Shuze Tang ◽

William W Riley ◽

Zhenqiang Chen

Keyword(s):

Methylene Blue ◽

Crystal Violet ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Vibrio Parahaemolyticus ◽

Food Industry ◽

Membrane Integrity ◽

Laser Scanning Microscopy ◽

Confocal Laser ◽

Photodynamic Inactivation ◽

Log Reduction

This study was conducted to better understand the mechanism of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus biofilm formation and to assess the inactivation effects of methylene blue-mediated photodynamic inactivation (PDI) technology as a preventative measure. Optical microscopy, following crystal violet staining, was used to observe the kinetics of V. parahaemolyticus biofilm formation. The crystal violet-based assay was performed in microtiter plates, and it was employed to determine which factors were most influential in the formation of the biofilms. Colony counting and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to test the inactivation effect of methylene blue-mediated photodynamic technology on the biofilms. V. parahaemolyticus has the ability to form biofilms, as evidenced by their immediate adherence to glass surfaces and rapid maturity, within 24 h. High (7%) or low (0.5%) salinity was not conducive to the formation of biofilms, and rotational speed greater than 130 rpm also inhibited the process. A 4.05 log reduction in the concentration of viable biofilm cells was obtained with 100 μg/mL methylene blue and 20 min irradiation (24.996 J/cm2), but planktonic cells were more susceptible to the methylene blue-mediated photodynamic reaction (5.46 log reduction). The results presented here show that the methylene blue-mediated PDI technology is an effective means to inactivate V. parahaemolyticus by disrupting its membrane integrity and to inhibit the pathogen’s formation of protective biofilms. This technology is a valid tool that can be used to enhance food safety in the sea food industry.

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Plasma-treated water affects Listeria monocytogenes vitality and biofilm formation

10.21203/rs.3.rs-31328/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Oliver Handorf ◽

Viktoria Isabella Pauker ◽

Thomas Weihe ◽

Uta Schnabel ◽

Eric Freund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Listeria Monocytogenes ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Microwave Plasma ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Bacterial Biofilm ◽

Treated Water ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Cell Vitality ◽

Pretreatment Time

Abstract Plasma-generated compounds (PGCs) such as plasma-processed air (PPA) or plasma-treated water (PTW) offer an increasingly important alternative for the treatment of microorganisms in hard-to-reach areas found in several industrial applications including the food industry. To this end, we studied the antimicrobial capacity of plasma-treated water on the vitality and biofilm formation of Listeria monocytogenes, a common food spoilage microorganism. Using a microwave plasma (MidiPLexc), 10 ml of deionized water was treated for 100 s, 300 s and 900 s (pretreatment time) and the bacterial biofilm was subsequently exposed to the PTW for 1 min, 3 min and 5 min (posttreatment time) for each pretreatment time separately. Colony-forming units (CFU), metabolic activity, and cell vitality were reduced for 4.7 log10, 47.9%, and 69.5%, respectively. Live/dead staining and fluorescence microscopy showed a positive correlation between treatment and incubation times and reduction in vitality. Atomic force microscopy indicated a change in the plasticity of the bacteria. These results suggest a promising antimicrobial impact of plasma-treated water on Listeria monocytogenes, which may lead to more targeted applications of plasma decontamination in the food industry in the future.

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The Antimicrobial Effect of Radiant Catalytic Ionization on the Bacterial Attachment and Biofilm Formation by Selected Foodborne Pathogens under Refrigeration Conditions

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10041364 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 1364

Author(s):

Krzysztof Skowron ◽

Karolina Jadwiga Skowron ◽

Justyna Bauza-Kaszewska ◽

Ewa Wałecka-Zacharska ◽

Joanna Kwiecińska-Piróg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Foodborne Pathogens ◽

Glass Surface ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Salmonella Enteritidis ◽

Antimicrobial Effect ◽

Bacterial Attachment ◽

Efficiency Coefficient ◽

Food Contact Surfaces ◽

Reduction Efficiency

The decontamination of food contact surfaces is a major problem for the food industry. The radiant catalytic ionization (RCI) method, based on the ionization process, may be an alternative for conventional decontamination procedures. The advantage of this technique is the possibility of its application to household refrigerating appliances and industrial cold rooms. This study aimed to assess the effect of RCI on the reduction of Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Enteritidis from the biofilms formed on a glass surface under refrigeration conditions. Bacterial biofilms were exposed to RCI for 24 h and after 12 (variant I) and 72 h (variant II) of the glass surface contamination. In the last variant (III), the contaminated meat was placed on the glass surface in the refrigerator and subjected to RCI treatment for 72 h. The significantly highest values of absolute reduction efficiency coefficient E were found for the bacterial attachment stage of biofilm formation (variant I). The research proves the efficiency of the RCI method in the reduction of bacteria number from a glass surface.

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Challenges of biofilm control and utilization: lessons from mathematical modelling

Journal of The Royal Society Interface ◽

10.1098/rsif.2019.0042 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (155) ◽

pp. 20190042 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Paulina A. Dzianach ◽

Gary A. Dykes ◽

Norval J. C. Strachan ◽

Ken J. Forbes ◽

Francisco J. Pérez-Reche

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Mathematical Modelling ◽

Mathematical Models ◽

Computer Simulations ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Interspecies Interactions ◽

Collective Knowledge ◽

Medical Sector ◽

Pattern Formations

This article reviews modern applications of mathematical descriptions of biofilm formation. The focus is on theoretically obtained results which have implications for areas including the medical sector, food industry and wastewater treatment. Examples are given as to how models have contributed to the overall knowledge on biofilms and how they are used to predict biofilm behaviour. We conclude that the use of mathematical models of biofilms has demonstrated over the years the ability to significantly contribute to the vast field of biofilm research. Among other things, they have been used to test various hypotheses on the nature of interspecies interactions, viability of biofilm treatment methods or forces behind observed biofilm pattern formations. Mathematical models can also play a key role in future biofilm research. Many models nowadays are analysed through computer simulations and continue to improve along with computational capabilities. We predict that models will keep on providing answers to important challenges involving biofilm formation. However, further strengthening of the ties between various disciplines is necessary to fully use the tools of collective knowledge in tackling the biofilm phenomenon.

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