Emergent strategies for detection and control of biofilms in food processing environments

Biofilms are dense surface-attached microbial communities consisting of bacterial colonies embedded in their self-generated matrix materials. Different bacteria species that exist within a biofilm are positioned within many different microenvironments defined by nutrient availability, pH and oxygen levels. To adapt to these myriad niches, bacteria therefore show numerous phenotypes and enormous metabolic and replicative heterogeneity. This heterogeneity provides the biofilm community with great capacity to withstand challenges. Biofilms formed in the food-processing environments cause recalcitrant contaminations and food spoilage, which pose a huge threat to public health. The distinct physiology and slow growth rate of biofilm cells hinder the detection of biofilms hidden in the food-processing environments. Conventional cleaning and disinfecting strategies could be ineffective to eradicate biofilms. The present chapter will focus on describing the latest strategies for detection and control of biofilms in food-processing environments.