Biofilm: An Alarming Niche in Dairy Industry

Abstract

Biofilm is an aggregation of microbial cells interconnected by extracellular polymeric substances which accelerate growth on different material surfaces adversely affect the dairy industry. This polymicrobial community contains altered phenotype which differs them from planktonic microbes physiologically. It affects the quality and safety of raw materials and their products. Thus, producing serious problems directly affecting human health. Colonisation at the surfaces of open and closed piping systems, floors, waste, walls, ceilings of the production halls play a major role as barrier in the selection of effective sanitation agents for their control. As a result, the sector is forced to face a havoc economical loss. In fact, the condition is aggravating day-by-day. As microbes growing in a biofilm are highly resistant to antimicrobial agents and host’s immune system, it is obligatory to employ effective methods to retard the biofilm formation. Therefore, immediate appropriate precautionary measures should be adopted to combat the condition and prevent further complications.