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Effect of dry sanitizing methods on Bacillus cereus biofilm

  • Fungal and Bacterial Physiology - Research Paper
  • Published:
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Abstract

Bacillus cereus is a relevant foodborne pathogen and biofilm producer which can contaminate and persist in the processing environment of both high and low water activity foods. Because of this, it is crucial to understand better the resistance of this pathogen biofilm to different sanitation methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dry sanitizing treatments against B. cereus biofilm formed on stainless steel (SS) and polypropylene (PP). Biofilm formation was held through the static method at 25 °C. After 4 days of incubation, coupons were exposed for up to 30 min to UV-C light, dry heat, gaseous ozone, 70% ethanol, and a commercial sanitizer. Sodium hypochlorite (200 mg/l) was also tested in two different pH values (7 and 11) for comparison purposes. In general, the surface material did not influence (p > 0.05) the performance of the treatments. From 10 min of exposure, 70% ethanol and the commercial product caused the lowest reductions on both surfaces. In addition, dry heat exhibited a poor performance on PP, with reductions < 1 log CFU/cm2. UV-C light on SS and PP and ozone on PP achieved reductions around 2 log CFU/cm2 after 30 min. The same level of reduction was obtained after 5 or 10 min using sodium hypochlorite (200 mg/l). Therefore, the results showed that dry sanitizing methods are not as effective as sodium hypochlorite against B. cereus biofilms. Further studies to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of dry methods are necessary.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil) for providing the financial support for scholarship (CNPq–Process 132828/2018-9). This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior–Brasil (CAPES)–Finance Code 001.

Funding

This study was funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil) (CNPq–Process 132828/2018-9). This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior–Brasil (CAPES)–Finance Code 001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Technology, School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato n° 80, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil

    Andréia Miho Morishita Harada & Maristela Silva Nascimento

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  1. Andréia Miho Morishita Harada
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  2. Maristela Silva Nascimento
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Andréia Miho Morishita Harada. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Andréia Miho Morishita Harada and Maristela Silva Nascimento, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Maristela Silva Nascimento.

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Harada, A.M.M., Nascimento, M.S. Effect of dry sanitizing methods on Bacillus cereus biofilm. Braz J Microbiol 52, 919–926 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-021-00451-0

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