Location: Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-32420-008-007-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2026
End Date: Jul 31, 2028
Objective:
Foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Escherichia coli can persist on food-contact and environmental surfaces through the formation of biofilms, which increase resistance to sanitation treatments. This research focuses on developing and evaluating approaches to support the inactivation of biofilms and dried biofilms containing foodborne pathogens, including application of the Contamination Sanitization Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D) system to improve sanitation effectiveness.
A secondary objective is to explore methods that support the detection and identification of contamination and biofilms on surfaces to complement inactivation strategies, including fluorescence imaging and related sensing capabilities of the CSI-D system.
Approach:
The research will utilize laboratory-based models to evaluate the inactivation and detection of biofilms, including dried biofilms, under conditions relevant to food processing and handling environments. Experiments will include the preparation of biofilms and dried biofilms containing target pathogens on representative surfaces and the assessment of intervention strategies, including the CSI-D system.
In stage 1, biofilms of selected pathogens will be developed under controlled conditions to establish reproducible models for testing. Different environmental and surface conditions will be evaluated to assess their impact on biofilm formation and stability.
In stage 2, inactivation approaches will be evaluated using the CSI-D system across a range of operating conditions (e.g., varying exposure times, distances, and energy levels). These studies will assess the effectiveness of treatments against biofilms and dried biofilms on different food-contact surfaces.
In stage 3, the fluorescence imaging function of the CSI-D system will be evaluated for the detection of contamination, including biofilms, on food-contact surfaces.