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Biofilms in the food industry: problems and potential solutions
Author(s) -
Brooks John D.,
Flint Steve H.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of food science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.831
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1365-2621
pISSN - 0950-5423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2008.01839.x
Subject(s) - biofilm , food spoilage , food industry , contamination , biochemical engineering , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , food science , ecology , engineering , bacteria , genetics
Summary Contamination of food by spoilage and pathogenic micro‐organisms costs the food industry millions of dollars annually. Much of this contamination may be attributed to the presence of biofilms in the processing plant. In this review, we examine the properties of micro‐organisms and the surfaces of processing equipment that influence the formation of biofilms. Of particular concern is the increased resistance of biofilms to cleaning and disinfection processes. Alternative means of controlling biofilm development are described and some aspects where more information is required are identified.