Biofilm Formation and Control in the Dairy Industry

Microbial contamination of dairy products is often through the release of bacteria from biofilms developing on almost any manufacturing food contact plant surface. The microbial composition varies depending upon the product being manufactured and the environmental conditions in different parts of the dairy manufacturing plant. Microbial contamination of dairy products limits the value of products. Controlling biofilms through frequent cleaning costs the dairy industry by limiting the amount of product that can be manufactured. Recent studies on dairy biofilms have provided information on how they develop and suggest some alternative control measures to prevent or delay biofilm growth and product contamination.