Factors affecting Listeria monocytogenes biofilm formation in food processing environments and its control

Authors: BANSA, M - Mississippi State University; DHOWLAGHAR, N - Mississippi State University; NANNAPANENI, R - Mississippi State University; KODE, D - Mississippi State University; CHANG, S - Mississippi State University; CHENG, W-H - Mississippi State University; OBE, T - Mississippi State University; KIESS, A - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/25/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Foodborne pathogens cause 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths annually in the United States. Among them, Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne bacterial pathogen that causes listeriosis. Listeriosis accounts for 19% of all deaths related to foodborne diseases in the United States. L. monocytogenes is an environmentally persistent organism and can grow slowly at refrigeration temperatures (4°C). It also survives in high salinity environments and a wide range of acidity/alkalinity. Due to its ubiquitous nature, different food products like fish, meat, coleslaw, cantaloupes, unpasteurized milk, and ice-cream are contaminated and known as sources of L. monocytogenes infection. How L. monocytogenes survive and persist in food production facilities is still unclear as many factors are involved in it. Inadequate sanitation procedures of food contact surfaces can result in niches contaminated with organic content and higher water activity for bacteria to survive and to expose bacteria to the subinhibitory concentration of disinfectants. Organic matter contamination in the food processing facilities can cause subinhibitory levels of disinfectant exposure to bacteria. Exposure to subinhibitory levels of disinfectants can result in an increase in bacterial tolerance to disinfectants, an increase in disinfectant concentration or exposure time. This review explores the L. monocytogenes biofilm-formation ability on food contact surfaces and the commonly used disinfectant procedures to reduce its persistence in the food processing facilities.

Technical Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is widely present in biotic and abiotic surfaces including manure, soil, and surface water samples. It is an environmentally persistent organism and can grow slowly even at refrigeration temperatures (4°C) in a variety of food products. This foodborne pathogen can attach firmly and form biofilms on any food-contact and non-food contact surface in almost all food processing conditions. It is still unclear what factors play a critical role in the food production facility in biofilm formation of L. monocytogenes. This review explores the known factors, inducing the L. monocytogenes biofilm-formation ability on food-contact and non-food contact surfaces and their elimination by disinfectant procedures in the food processing facilities.