Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
NewsContamination ControlSanitationMicrobiologicalBiofilm Control

Varied Interactions Between Biofilms and Enteric Viruses on Food Contact Surfaces

By Bailee Henderson
cartoon bacteria petri dish

Credit: Monstera via Pexels

September 15, 2022

A recent study is one of the first to demonstrate that the presence of biofilms formed on food contact surfaces with various bacterial strains commonly found in the agrifood chain could promote the attachment of infectious foodborne enteric viruses under certain conditions. Researchers observed the interactions between rotavirus, hepatitis A, and norovirus with biofilms comprising spoilage bacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

Researchers inoculated four bacterial strains—Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus—in monoculture and multispecies combinations on glass, stainless steel, and polystyrene (plastic) surfaces. Biofilm formation was then conducted in a meat slurry media to mimic the composition of organic material found in the meat industry. The biofilms were left in static condition for three days at 30 degrees Celsius, with the same concentration for each bacterial strain. The researchers then introduced rotavirus, hepatitis A, and murine norovirus (used as a substitute for human norovirus) to surfaces on which biofilms had formed, as well as on biofilm-free surfaces to observe viral attachment on its own.

The researchers observed that plastic surfaces promote more complete biofilm coverage compared to glass and stainless steel, possibly due to the material’s hydrophobic nature. Of the four tested bacteria, P. fluorescens showed the highest density of viable cell populations for the three surfaces, and L. pseudomesenteroides displayed the lowest density.

The study confirmed that rotavirus, hepatitis A, and norovirus can adhere to glass, stainless steel, and plastic surfaces in the absence of biofilms. Additionally, the data demonstrated that only 15 minutes of contact time can be sufficient to allow viruses to interact with and adhere to food contact surfaces. While hepatitis A and norovirus were found to have stable attachment to surfaces, infectious rotavirus particles tended to detach from surfaces over time and were found surviving in the meat slurry.

When observing the interaction between rotavirus and biofilms, the researchers found a significant increase of infectious particle adhesion in the presence of formed biofilms after a 24 hour incubation period on the stainless steel and plastic surfaces. After the same length of incubation time in the absence of biofilm, only a very small amount of rotavirus infectious particles could be recovered from the surfaces. Biofilms formed on plastic by P. fluorescens and L. pseudomesenteroid promoted a significantly heightened attachment rate for rotavirus, while L. rhamnosus biofilms showed the least increase in adhesion. The results also showed multispecies biofilms to significantly promote adhesion.

Regarding hepatitis A, when surfaces were coated with formed biofilms, viral adhesion increased significantly, particularly on glass and plastic coated with LAB—especially with L. plantarum and L. rhamnosus, and to a lesser extent, with L. pseudomesenteroides. Additionally, increases in adhesion were observed after 15 minutes of incubation and were maintained over time, which differs from rotavirus, where significant increases were observed mainly after 24 hours.

Finally, the presence of biofilms formed by mono and multispecies culture on the different food contact surfaces did not generally promote or reduce the presence of murine norovirus, as the numbers of infectious particles recovered were similar to those found on the surfaces lacking biofilm. The only significant increases in adhesion were found on plastic surfaces colonized by the two Lactobacillus biofilms after 90 minutes and 24 hours. The researchers note that, interestingly, after 24 hours in the presence of biofilms formed by P. fluorescens on the three tested surfaces, no infectious viral particles of murine norovirus were detected by plaque assay. The researchers hypothesize that the virus had been inactivated, or that essential receptors for infection of murine norovirus had been blocked by components present in the P. fluorescens biofilm, but the mechanism behind the observation is unknown.

Overall, the study demonstrates that hepatitis A, rotavirus, and murine norovirus do not have the same behavior nor the same binding abilities under identical experimental conditions. Since interactions with biofilms could protect foodborne viruses from desiccation, make them less sensitive to washing and disinfection, and prolong their survival in the environment, the researchers call for further exploration of the mechanisms involved in the interactions to better understand the role that biofilms may play as a reservoir of foodborne viruses, in the dispersion and possible contamination of food products, and in the persistence of viruses in the food sector environment.

KEYWORDS: biofilm enteric viruses food contact surfaces hepatitis A norovirus rotovirus study

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Baileehendersonmay23

Bailee Henderson is the Digital Editor of Food Safety Magazine. She can be reached at hendersonb@bnpmedia.com.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Microbiological
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Management
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Management
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

Top view of several sandwiches

FDA Provides Update on Listeria Outbreak Related to Products of Fresh & Ready Foods LLC

Image of container spilling red powder

FDA Approves Three Food Colors from Natural Sources

Image of microscopic pathogens

FDA Releases CORE 2023 Annual Report regarding Investigations of Foodborne Outbreaks

Events

June 12, 2025

Additive Bans Ahead: Your Guide to Avoiding Risk and Maintaining Agility

Live: June 12, 2025 at 12:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn how ingredient bans will impact product development, labeling, and sourcing.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • top of an apple

    Defects, Organic Matter on Food Contact Surfaces Reduces Sanitizer Efficacy Against Listeria Biofilms

    See More
  • digital illustration of a dna strand within a test tube

    USDA Study Shows WGS Could Detect Salmonella on Food-Contact Surfaces Earlier Than Culturing

    See More
  • orange and red picture of salmonella

    New Insights About Salmonella Interactions With Environmental Biofilms May Lead to Better Food Safety Strategies

    See More

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • August 29, 2024

    Understanding and Addressing Biofilm Communities and Behavior in the Food Plant

    On Demand: In this webinar, speakers with expertise in industry food safety, sanitation, and genomics will provide education on the formation and behavior of biofilms and the challenges they pose to food safety and sanitation operations.
View AllSubmit An Event

Related Directories

  • Log 10 LLC

    Our core science is food microbiology, and our name reflects the way microbe numbers are expressed. Our mission is to provide professional consulting, research, testing, and training support to the food industry relative to the manufacture and delivery of safe, high-quality food products.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing