Biofilm Prevention Strategies An Integrated Sanitation Approach Optimal biofilm control starts with prevention. As a proactive biofilm control strategy, it is necessary to consistently maintain the sanitary state of a food facility in order to ensure the production of safe and wholesome food. The following strategies can be implemented to mitigate risk in production facilities: Regulatory and standard requirements or recommendations regarding biofilm control strategies: Codex Food Hygiene: Basic Texts (4th ed.) recommends proper design of facilities and equipment to prevent harborage sites from forming or cross- contamination and recontamination happening. They also recommend proper surface cleaning and sanitizing protocols. According to the Draft Guidance on ‘Control of Listeria monocytogenes in RTE foods’ , selecting the right sanitizer (i.e. quaternary ammonium compounds, peroxyacetic acid, iodine, or chlorine), and routinely rotating them is critical to biofilm prevention. FSIS Best Practices Guidance on Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens (2015) also recommends alternating sanitizers (e.g. quaternary ammonium and sodium hypochlorite solution), and clean-scrubbing surfaces to prevent biofilms formation. According to 3A-SSI Standards, if the food-contact components of equipment is not designed for CIP or other automated methods of cleaning, these parts should be cleaned and sanitized manually. Manual cleaning, in such cases, involves the use of tools such as brushes, scrapers, squeegees, etc., along with other sanitation aids to achieve the desired effect required to remove soils (e.g. biofilms) from a contact surface. 3
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The Role of Manual Cleaning in Biofilm Prevention and Removal 1
