Biofilm Removal from Stainless Steel Surfaces

Bacterial biofilms on stainless steel food processing equipment compromise food safety and quality. UGA food scientists wanted to know if using a combination of two proven sanitation methods, abrasive mechanical disruption and charged electrostatic spraying of sanitizers, would yield an effective low-volume sanitation process to remove biofilms. They found abrasive mechanical disruption combined with air-assisted electrostatic charged spray of organic acid sanitizer effectively reduced the number of biofilm cells. Bacterial biofilms present significant obstacles in food processing environments. Development of a process that can deliver abrasive mechanical disruption and low-volume electrostatic application of sanitizer spray may provide an effective means for biofilm control.