Diverse microorganisms are able to grow on food matrixes and along food industry infrastructures. This growth may give rise to biofilms. This review summarizes, on the one hand, the current knowledge regarding the main bacterial species responsible for initial colonization, maturation and dispersal of food industry biofilms, as well as their associated health issues in dairy products, ready-to-eat foods and other food matrixes. These human pathogens include Bacillus cereus (which secretes toxins that can cause diarrhea and vomiting symptoms), Escherichia coli (which may include enterotoxigenic and even enterohemorrhagic strains), Listeria monocytogenes (a ubiquitous species in soil and water that can lead to abortion in pregnant women and other serious complications in children and the elderly), Salmonella enterica (which, when contaminating a food pipeline biofilm, may induce massive outbreaks and even death in children and elderly), and Staphylococcus aureus (known for its numerous enteric toxins). On the other hand, this review describes the currently available biofilm prevention and disruption methods in food factories, including steel surface modifications (such as nanoparticles with different metal oxides, nanocomposites, antimicrobial polymers, hydrogels or liposomes), cell-signaling inhibition strategies (such as lactic and citric acids), chemical treatments (such as ozone, quaternary ammonium compounds, NaOCl and other sanitizers), enzymatic disruption strategies (such as cellulases, proteases, glycosidases and DNAses), non-thermal plasma treatments, the use of bacteriophages (such as P100), bacteriocins (such us nisin), biosurfactants (such as lichenysin or surfactin) and plant essential oils (such as citral- or carvacrol-containing oils).

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Biofilms in the Food Industry: Health Aspects and Control Methods

The details of all steps involved in the quantification of
biofilm formation in microtiter plates are described. The
presented protocol incorporates information on assessment of
biofilm production by staphylococci, gained both by direct
experience as well as by analysis of methods for assaying
biofilm production. The obtained results should simplify
quantification of biofilm formation in microtiter plates, and
make it more reliable and comparable among different
laboratories.

Quantification of biofilm in microtiter plates: overview oftesting conditions and practical recommendations for assessmentof biofilm production by staphylococci.

Sources and contamination routes of microbial pathogens to fresh produce during field cultivation: A review.

Background Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables have gained much more attention worldwide in the past decades. Due to the increased awareness of consumers in sensorial and nutritional qualities of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, as well as the serious concerns towards public health caused by foodborne outbreaks owing to inappropriate handling or preservation of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, fresh-cut industry is in urgent need of new and improved technologies for shelf life extension. Scope and approach In this review the recent development in novel shelf life extension technology applied to fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, including physical, chemical and biopreservation methods are described. These novel technologies better maintain or improve the quality and safety of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. However, reduction in microbial load without compromising in sensory and nutritional qualities could not be easily achieved by one technique alone. Some combined application of these techniques proved to be very effective in both shelf life extension and microbial inhibition of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Key findings and conclusions Future research needs to consider varieties of further combined applications of physical, chemical and biopreservation technologies, which may allow a better maintenance of the fresh-like characteristics of the raw produce. Meanwhile, consumer's acceptance, safety and legal aspects, and commercial availability, such as the efficacy, cost-effectiveness ratio and convenient manipulation, should also be taken into consideration in future studies.

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Recent developments in novel shelf life extension technologies of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables

Alternative disinfection methods to chlorine for use in the fresh-cut industry

The current knowledge on the application of anti-biofilm enzymes in the food industry

Biofilms can cause severe problems to human health due to the high tolerance to antimicrobials; consequently, biofilm science and technology constitutes an important research field. Growing a relevant biofilm in the laboratory provides insights into the basic understanding of the biofilm life cycle including responses to antibiotic therapies. Therefore, the selection of an appropriate biofilm reactor is a critical decision, necessary to obtain reproducible and reliable in vitro results. A reactor should be chosen based upon the study goals and a balance between the pros and cons associated with its use and operational conditions that are as similar as possible to the clinical setting. However, standardization in biofilm studies is rare. This review will focus on the four reactors (Calgary biofilm device, Center for Disease Control biofilm reactor, drip flow biofilm reactor, and rotating disk reactor) approved by a standard setting organization (ASTM International) for biofilm experiments and how researchers have modified these standardized reactors and associated protocols to improve the study and understanding of medical biofilms.

/pdf/standardized-reactors-for-the-study-of-medical-biofilms-a-4j5fik2z5k.pdf

Standardized reactors for the study of medical biofilms: A review of the principles and latest modifications

Comparative stability and efficacy of selected chlorine-based biocides against Escherichia coli in planktonic and biofilm states.

The knowledge on the microorganisms present in an industrial process is crucial to delineate the best strategy for their effective control. The aims of the present work were to isolate, identify and characterize (in terms of production of proteases, gelatinases and siderophores, quorum-sensing inhibition and biofilm formation) the resident heterotrophic bacteria present in a minimally processed vegetables (MPV) plant where sodium hypochlorite was used for decontamination. A total of 47 isolates were obtained with 49% belonging to the Pseudomonas genera. Twenty different bacterial species were identified and the conveyor belt in the high care area was found to be a significant source of contamination. Most of the isolates were capable of producing virulence related molecules and all isolates were able to form biofilm. Pseudomonas was the genera with the highest biofilm formation ability, being the predominant microflora along the process chain. Even if no relevant foodborne pathogen was isolated, the results clearly propose that improvements in decontamination during processing are required to effectively control microbial presence in the final product.

Ana Meireles

Papers

Alternative disinfection methods to chlorine for use in the fresh-cut industry

The current knowledge on the application of anti-biofilm enzymes in the food industry

Standardized reactors for the study of medical biofilms: A review of the principles and latest modifications

Comparative stability and efficacy of selected chlorine-based biocides against Escherichia coli in planktonic and biofilm states.

Characterization of the heterotrophic bacteria from a minimally processed vegetables plant