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25.04.2025 - Foods

Biofilms as a Hazard to Food Safety

The Food Federation Germany warns in the current issue of the Food Brief (March/April 2025) about biofilms – microbial communities that adhere to surfaces and are difficult to remove.

Due to their protective matrix of carbohydrates, proteins, and extracellular DNA, the embedded microorganisms are resistant to cleaning, disinfection, drying, and UV radiation. Pathogens such as Listeria, EHEC or Salmonella can accumulate in biofilms and contaminate food. A study by Voglauer et al. (2024) shows: Listeria attach to biofilms after just two hours and survive there for at least seven days.

Targeted cleaning and disinfection measures are therefore essential.

The BAV Institute supports you with regular microbiological examinations, including for Listeria and Salmonella, as well as environmental analyses. Our experts are happy to offer you advice.

Sources:

Voglauer, E.M. & Kober-Rychli, K. (2025): Biofilms – an invisible threat to food safety, The Food Brief, March/April, pp. 30–31.

Voglauer, E.M. et al. (2024): Listeria monocytogenes colonizes established multispecies biofilms…, Microbiol. Res., 292, Art. 127997.

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