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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #357718
Research Project: Develop Rapid Optical Detection Methods for Food Hazards

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Food grade dye for assessment of biofilm removal from stainless steel by cleaning and sanitizing agents

Author
item Gamble, Gary
item Lawrence, Kurt
item Park, Bosoon
item Yoon, Seung-Chul
item Heitschmidt, Gerald - Jerry

Submitted to: Food Protection Trends
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/22/2019
Publication Date: 11/11/2019
Citation: Gamble, G.R., Lawrence, K.C., Park, B., Yoon, S.C., Heitschmidt, G.W. 2019. Food grade dye for assessment of biofilm removal from stainless steel by cleaning and sanitizing agents. Food Protection Trends. Volume 39, Issue 6: Pages 442–448.

Interpretive Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a food grade dye, erythrosin B, for use in the development of a quantitative color difference methodology to measure the efficacy of cleaner/sanitizer solutions in removing biofilm components from stainless-steel surfaces. Biofilms of Listeria innocua and Pseudomonas putida were grown on stainless-steel coupons, subjected to various cleaner/sanitizer treatments, then stained with erythrosine B. Resultant coupons were photographed and color differences between background and dyed area evaluated. Color differences conformed to a scale correlated with human visual perception. Results indicated that the method provides sensitivity for visual appraisal of treatment-response as well as species-response relationships. The method shows potential as an enhancement for visual inspection to assess cleaning/sanitizing of food processing environments as part of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point program.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a food grade dye, erythrosin B, for use in the development of a quantitative color difference methodology to measure the efficacy of cleaner/sanitizer solutions in removing biofilm components from stainless-steel surfaces. Biofilms of Listeria innocua and Pseudomonas putida were grown on stainless-steel coupons, subjected to various cleaner/sanitizer treatments, then stained with erythrosine B. Resultant coupons were photographed and color differences between background and dyed area evaluated. Color differences conformed to a scale correlated with human visual perception. Results indicated that the method provides sensitivity for visual appraisal of treatment-response as well as species-response relationships. The method shows potential as an enhancement for visual inspection to assess cleaning/sanitizing of food processing environments as part of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point program.