Antibiofilm Strategies in the Dairy Processing Sector

In nature, 80% of bacteria exist in biofilm form, as opposed to the planktonic form. The presence of biofilms, an organized and protected microbial community, is one of the biggest challenges faced in the food industry, and the dairy sector is no exception. Surfaces in contact with fluids, such as stainless steel in dairy processing plants, can become contaminated by biofilms. These biofilms may consist of undesirable microorganisms such as spoilage organisms or pathogens. The release of these microorganisms can lead to non-compliant and/or atypical dairy products, causing economic losses estimated at over 1 million dollars per incident, along with considerable food waste. Additionally, the biofilm form can provide greater resistance to various disinfectants and antimicrobials. In our previous project (2019-094-C50) focusing on the creation of a documented collection of microorganisms associated with dairy products near the end of their shelf life or non-compliant and/or atypical products, groups of microorganisms were identified and characterized. The results showed that current control methods do not effectively eliminate all biofilms.