Influence of Environmental Factors on Bacterial Biofilm Formation in the Food Industry: A Review

Formation and development of bacterial biofilms in the food industry could be a cause of food contamination, compromising food safety and shelf-life. Among the factors modulating biofilm formation, this review will focus in conditions normally encountered by bacteria in food environments, especially in biofilm initiation and development. The effect of environmental factors (substratum, temperature, oxygen concentration, hydrodynamic effects, food matrix composition, and microbial interactions) on biofilm formation is multifaceted and, in many circumstances, their influence could be compensatory. A better knowledge of these factors would allow for a better control of biofilm formation, either by avoiding and/or eradicating biofilms or by defining adequate Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point systems in the food industry.