Influence of Environmental Factors on Bacterial Biofilm Formation in the Food Industry: A Review

Abstract

Formation and development of bacterial biofilms in the food industry could be a cause of food contamination, compromising food safety and shelf-life. Among the factors modulating biofilm formation, this review will focus in conditions normally encountered by bacteria in food environments, especially in biofilm initiation and development. The effect of environmental factors (substratum, temperature, oxygen concentration, hydrodynamic effects, food matrix composition, and microbial interactions) on biofilm formation is multifaceted and, in many circumstances, their influence could be compensatory. A better knowledge of these factors would allow for a better control of biofilm formation, either by avoiding and/or eradicating biofilms or by defining adequate Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point systems in the food industry.

Singularities of Pyogenic Streptococcal Biofilms – From Formation to Health Implication

“…Among the environmental factors, nutrient availability, temperature and pH variations, concentration of metals and osmolytes, redox potential, interaction with the host’s immune system are the most common. These factors affect bacterial cell properties, namely gene regulation and cell surface physicochemical characteristics, which may have a profound effect on cell–cell interaction and hence, on biofilm development ( Garcia-Gonzalo and Pagán, 2015 ).…”

“…Adhesion to different surfaces are largely conditioned by the physicochemical substratum characteristics, including surface charge and hydrophobicity ( Donlan and Costerton, 2002 ). These characteristics could be further modified by other environmental factors, such as temperature variations, and sub-inhibitory concentrations of antimicrobials ( Garcia-Gonzalo and Pagán, 2015 ; Ranieri et al, 2018 ; Šmitran et al, 2018 ). As expected, bacterial cells with hydrophobic characteristics adhere to hydrophobic surfaces, cells with hydrophilic properties adhere to hydrophilic surfaces.…”

“…As expected, bacterial cells with hydrophobic characteristics adhere to hydrophobic surfaces, cells with hydrophilic properties adhere to hydrophilic surfaces. Additionally, hydrophobic cells are more able to attach to surfaces than hydrophilic ( Garcia-Gonzalo and Pagán, 2015 ). During initiation, the attachment step is followed by a so-called “accumulative phase,” where the cells start to adhere to each other forming clusters (microcolonies).…”

Inhibition of Biofilm Formation and Related Gene Expression of Listeria monocytogenes in Response to Four Natural Antimicrobial Compounds and Sodium Hypochlorite

“…L. monocytogenes can survive for long periods under various harsh environmental conditions, such as high salt, low pH and refrigerated temperatures ( Oloketuyi and Khan, 2017 ). The biofilm formation of L. monocytogenes is the main cause for its persistence and stress resistance in food processing environments ( García-Gonzalo and Pagán, 2015 ). Biofilms are microbial communities that adhere to abiotic or biotic surfaces, which are surrounded by extracellular polymeric substances ( Shi and Zhu, 2009 ).…”

Efficacy of Commercial Sanitizers Used in Food Processing Facilities for Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, E. Coli O157:H7, and Salmonella Biofilms

“…Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Staphylococcus aureus have been documented to form biofilms on food and food contact surfaces [3,5,6]. Apart from a bacteria's ability to initiate attachment, intrinsic factors related to the chemistry of foods and extrinsic factors, such as the food contact surface itself, can influence the level of attachment and biofilm formation [7][8][9]. Bacteria may be influenced by different 'scale effects' of surface topography (i.e., nano-vs. micro-scale) that may affect attachment [10].…”