ARS | Publication request: BIOFILMS ON FRESH PRODUCE AND DIFFICULTIES IN DECONTAMINATION

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 4, 2006
Publication Date: May 25, 2006
Citation: Annous, B.A., Solomon, E.B., Niemira, B.A. 2006. Biofilms on fresh produce and difficulties in decontamination. Food Quality. 80-84

Technical Abstract: The rise in the number of produce-related outbreaks, coupled with the lack of an effective intervention, has given rise to an intense research effort into the ecology of human pathogens in the growing environment. Contrary to earlier theory, pathogens have been found to survive for long periods of time in water, animal manure, and a variety of agricultural soils. Recently, the intimate interactions between human pathogens and plant tissues have begun to be characterized. Bacteria have been found to be capable of attaching to and colonizing the surfaces of growing plants. It is now becoming clear that once attached, human pathogens are capable of forming biofilms on plant tissues. This formation of a biofilm was reported to be one of the main factors in failure of washing treatments to remove or inactivate human pathogens on produce surfaces.