Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
environment, contamination by this bacterium is quite unavoidable in food industry
facilities. As an example, over 12 % of the microbial biofilms found in a commer-
cial dairy plant corresponded to
B. cereus
(Sharma and Anand
2002
). In addition,
this bacterium produces spores that can endure a large range of adverse conditions
and promptly attach to food contact surfaces, due to their highly hydrophobic
character (Lindsay et al.
2006
).
B. cereus
is responsible for two kinds of gastroin-
testinal diseases, diarrheal and emetic, and the outbreaks associated with this
bacterium have been related to the ingestion of several different food items, such
as meat, fish, vegetables, rice, milk, cheeses, pasta, and foodstuff with sauces
(puddings, roasted, and salads). Moreover, between 1998 and 2008, 1,229
foodborne outbreaks reported in the USA were caused by this bacterium as well
as by
Clostridium perfringens
and
S. aureus
(Bennett et al.
2013
).
3 Antibiofilm Strategies in the Food Industry
Microbial adhesion to food processing surfaces is a rather fast process, and there-
fore, cleaning and disinfection of such surfaces is often not sufficient to prevent the
adhesion of microorganisms. In fact, cleaning only removes approximately 90 % of
bacteria from surfaces and does not kill them (Srey et al.
2013
), so disinfection is
crucial. Nevertheless, an adequate frequency of disinfection should be carefully
determined to avoid accumulation of both particulates and bacterial cells present on
abiotic surfaces. The main strategy to prevent biofilm formation is to avoid bacterial
adhesion by choosing the correct materials and performing the appropriate cleaning
methods. In this context, it is of utmost importance to use materials that do not
promote or even suppress biofilm formation. Antimicrobial agents should be
applied to walls, ceilings, and floors. Surfaces should have modified physicochem-
ical properties or be impregnated with biocides or antimicrobials to minimize
bacterial colonization (Rogers et al.
1995
). Hydrophobic surfaces are more prone
to biofilm formation than hydrophilic ones. It is also essential that equipment design
is smooth and does not contain faults like crevices, corners, cracks, gaskets, valves,
and joints, which are vulnerable areas for biofilm accumulation and not easily
accessible to sanitizers. Cleaning and disinfection should be performed regularly
before bacteria firmly attach to surfaces. To this end, cleaning-in-place (CIP)
procedures have been used and sometimes include physical methods, such as
mechanical brushing, chemical agents, such as detergents, and biological agents,
like enzymes to obtain a biofilm-free industrial environment (Kumar and Anand
1998
). Even with these procedures microorganisms can remain on surfaces. Thus,
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Hygienic Practices (GHPs), Good
Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
(HACCP) have been established for controlling food quality and safety (Myszka
and Czaczyk
2011
). The HACCP system has the advantage of improving product
safety by anticipating and preventing health hazards before they occur. Neverthe-
less, adhesion and biofilm formation on food processing surfaces and food spoilage
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