Biofilms In Food Industry: What Are They And Detection Methods

Surfaces within the food processing and production facilities that come into contact with food products during production, processing, and packaging are referred to as “Food Contact Surfaces”. Usually, these surfaces are composed of either stainless steel or a type of plastic material.

Food contact surfaces are of particular significance as they have the potential to become a source of contamination. The primary measure for day-to-day control is sanitation, which involves cleaning and disinfection. When undertaken correctly, it can significantly reduce the risk of microbial contamination within the production facility.

Although a microbial surface may not be a source of contamination after sanitation, food residues on that surface during production can provide the opportunity for microbial growth, which could then result in recontamination for the product.

With growing demands on production and significant time constraints on producers to keep lines running as long as possible, producers are seeking new technologies that will detect microbial contaminants faster and with more accuracy than typical ATP swab solutions. This could potentially lead to the product being recontaminated.

Biofilms In The Food Industry

One mistake many food production companies make is assuming if a “Food Contact Surface” is visibly clean, it is also sanitary clean, this unfortunately is not the case. Some contaminants such as Salmonella and E. coli are resistant to soaps and detergents. Consequently, the threat of bacterial contamination has not been fully addressed regardless of how meticulously a surface is cleaned.

Typically, an ATP swab is used to test for the presence of adenosine triphosphate on a surface that is assumed to be visibly clean, and as such is used to measure the cleanliness levels of a facility. The ATP test is a reliable tool that can be used to establish, track, and uphold cleaning standards in a facility. The detection of ATP on a surface suggests inadequate cleaning and the existence of contaminants such as food residue, allergens, or bacteria. This, in turn, implies that the surface may serve as a breeding ground for bacteria.

However, the ATP swab is limited as it can only provide analysis on a very small area of the Food Contact Surface. This is a particular issue for larger production facilities or those with limited time for production changeover, as this method relies on knowing exactly where to take a swab from, as no biofilm growth areas are evident with the naked eye…… or are they?