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MICROTOPOGRAPHY AND BACTERIAL ADHERENCE TO FOOD CONTACT SURFACES EVALUATED BY SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY AND EPIFLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY
Author(s) -
CARELI ROBERTA TORRES,
DE ANDRADE NÉLIO JOSÉ,
DE FÁTIMA FERREIRA SOARES NILDA,
RIBEIRO JÚNIOR JOSÉ IVO,
ROSADO MARCÍLIA SANTOS,
PINHEIRO LUIZ LÍVIA MARIA,
BERNARDES PATRÍCIA CAMPOS
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of food process engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1745-4530
pISSN - 0145-8876
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4530.2008.00241.x
Subject(s) - scanning electron microscope , fluorescence microscope , polyvinyl chloride , materials science , pseudomonas fluorescens , adhesion , food industry , health hazard , composite material , nanotechnology , fluorescence , chemistry , food science , optics , biology , bacteria , medicine , physics , genetics , environmental health
Microtopography of food contact surfaces used in the food industry, such as stainless steel AISI 304 #4, double‐faced smooth polyurethane (PU), and PU coated with cloth, double‐faced rugous PU, polyvinyl chloride coated with thin cloth, polyvinyl chloride coated with thick cloth, silicon coated with cloth, granite and marble, was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Also, the adhesion of Pseudomonas fluorescens to surfaces was evaluated by epifluorescence microscopy. Several types of imperfections were observed in the different surfaces: protuberances and cracks with diameters of 5.1 and 8.8 µ m; elevations of about 3.2 µ m and micro‐holes with a diameter of 6.45 µ m; undulations and depressions with diameters of 26.5 and 6.9 µ m, respectively, and porous surfaces about 6.12 and 13.44 µ m long. The numbers of adhered cells reached 5.5–6.5 log DMC/cm 2 . Surfaces coated with thick cloth and marble and granite surfaces showed the highest number ( P < 0.05) of adhered cells. Choosing smooth surfaces helped to control bacterial adherence.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This research shows important information for people dealing with food quality control, quality management, risk assessment, risk management hazard analysis by critical point control and good manufacturing practices, which are well‐recognized food safety tools. The number of manufactured foods has widely increased to meet the increasing number of consumers and sometimes the hygiene procedures in the food industry are poor or overlooked. It is essential that those responsible for producing food be knowledgeable about the characteristics of the material surfaces used to make the equipment, utensils and conveyors to help in the control of foodborne diseases. The viable alternatives to avoid or minimize food contamination are (1) improving surface quality related to microtopography by improving surface production process; (2) choosing surfaces with better characteristics concerning microtopography to control the adherence process and biofilm formation; and (3) implementing effective controls of cleaning and sanitizing procedures.