Abstract
Biofilm formation by foodborne pathogens is a serious threat to food safety and public health. Meat processing plants may harbor various microorganisms and occasional foodborne pathogens; thus, the environmental microbial community might impact pathogen survival via mixed biofilm formation. We collected floor drain samples from two beef plants with different E. coli O157:H7 prevalence history and investigated the effects of the environmental microorganisms on pathogen sanitizer tolerance. The results showed that biofilm forming ability and bacterial species composition varied considerably based on the plants and drain locations. E. coli O157:H7 cells obtained significantly higher sanitizer tolerance in mixed biofilms by samples from the plant with recurrent E. coli O157:H7 prevalence than those mixed with samples from the other plant. The mixed biofilm that best protected E. coli O157:H7 also had the highest species diversity. The percentages of the species were altered significantly after sanitization, suggesting that the community composition affects the role and tolerance level of each individual species. Therefore, the unique environmental microbial community, their ability to form biofilms on contact surfaces and the interspecies interactions all play roles in E. coli O157:H7 persistence by either enhancing or reducing pathogen survival within the biofilm community.
Highlights
Many foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes can form biofilms
Meat processing plants harbor a variety of microorganisms as well as occasional foodborne pathogens, and a large portion of such a microbial community can persist in the environment as multispecies biofilms
Survival of pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 in these niches as part of the mixed biofilms depends on the interspecies interactions within the microbial community
Summary
Many foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes can form biofilms. This presents a serious food safety concern for meat processing plants because viable pathogens in detached biofilms from contact surfaces can lead to cross-contamination. Due to the poor accessibility and difficulty for regular maintenance of hygiene status, floor drains may contain a wide variety of environmental microorganisms, within which a high percentage of the biofilm-forming population can be isolated[4]. The rinsing water from animal carcasses, processing equipment, and other environmental surfaces that may contain foodborne pathogens can accumulate in the drains, the variety of microorganisms found in floor drains is a good representation of the bacterial species present in the processing environment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
