Author
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Arnold, Judy |
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Submitted to: American Oil Chemists' Society Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2002 Publication Date: 5/6/2002 Citation: ARNOLD, J.W. PREVENTION OF BACTERIAL FOULING ON FOOD EQUIPMENT SURFACES. AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS' SOCIETY MEETING. 2002. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Attachment of pathogens and other bacteria to food equipment surfaces can lead to product contamination, spoilage, and surface destruction. Effective controls can prevent bacterial fouling of equipment surfaces. Finishes of stainless steel components that are used in processing equipment were tested for susceptibility to bacterial attachment, growth, and biofilm formation. At various times following exposure of the steel to bacteria, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) compared bacterial counts on treated surfaces. The surface resistance achieved by electropolishing produces significantly less contamination than other existing methods used by equipment manufacturers. Quantitative parameters were established to measure the relative differences in the surface morphology of stainless steel finishes. Resistance or susceptibility of a surface to bacterial contamination correlated with roughness factors that were determined with atomic force microscopy. The ranges for the factors Ra/RMS (in micrometers) for treated stainless steel (304-2B) samples were: untreated,105-150; sandblasted,110-475; glass-beaded, 235-255; burnished,70-90; and electropolished, 8-10. Variations in fractal dimensions, Z ranges, and other measurements corresponded by treatment with the differences in reduction of bacterial counts shown by SEM. Increased bacterial contamination and biofilm formation occurred with increased roughness. These data are derived from about 50 samples with replicates. Studies are underway to determine the effects of corrosion on treatments and bacterial fouling. |
