Novel strategies to control the biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the food industry

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative human pathogenic bacterium that has the ability to form multicellular biofilm (BF) communities. Due to the presence of extracellular polymeric substances, BF protects bacteria from unfavorable environmental conditions and causes their resistance to antimicrobial substances. The presence of BF in the food industry has become a great threat to food safety. Conventional disinfection technologies are inappropriate for effective BF control due to the resistances created to them and the toxic residues for humans and the environment that they leave behind. Therefore, it is necessary to understand more about the formation and development of BF and environmentally friendly methods to remove BF from food and equipment in contact with food. This review article describes BF formation, its resistance mechanisms to antimicrobial agents, and BF development. Also, novel and effective strategies involved in BF removal are discussed including physical methods (plasma, pulsed electric field and ultrasonication), physicochemical method (electrolyzed water), biological methods (enzymes and bacteriophages), natural compounds such as essential oils, and application of nanomaterials.