Microbe-inhibiting surfaces for the food industry
Microbial contamination of preparation surfaces and food industry equipment can affect product quality and result in food-borne diseases. Currently, most food processing plants use stainless steel surfaces that are periodically cleaned with chemical disinfectants to limit growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. The EU-funded CLEANSURF (Durable biofilm-restraining surfaces and cleaning procedures for the food processing industry) project responded to this challenge by developing new surface coatings that prevent microbes from attaching to surfaces and equipment, making them easier to clean. When microbes attach to a surface, individual cells sometimes stick together to form biofilms, which strongly anchor themselves to surfaces by secreting a glue-like substance. CLEANSURF reduced biofilm build-up on surfaces by creating innovative coatings that are difficult for bacteria and other microbes to attach to. These coatings are based on silicon-based compounds called silanes, which can be chemically modified to make new coating surfaces with designed functionalities. By using a material fabrication process called sol-gel, antimicrobial enzymes or nanoparticles were embedded within a coating matrix to create even more specially designed surfaces that can combat biofilm build-up. Project partners have created surfaces that are more effective than bare stainless steel in preventing microbes from attaching to them. Such surfaces are easier to clean, thereby decreasing downtime required for regular disinfection and reducing the use of water, energy and environmentally harmful chemicals. Following testing and selection, suitable materials for creating surface coatings were assessed in field tests. These entailed exposing coated surfaces to milk in reactors at a cheese production facility and determining the extent of biofilm growth compared with stainless steel surfaces. CLEANSURF's innovative biofilm-inhibiting coatings have widespread applications and will revolutionise hygiene standards in the food industry. They include implementing the coating process into sterilisers and pasteurisers used by the juice, puree and concentrate processing industry.
Keywords
Food industry, biomaterials, microbial contamination, CLEANSURF, biofilm, sol-gel
