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Psychrotrophic Bacteria Equipped with Virulence and Colonization Traits Populate the Ice Cream Manufacturing
Vincenzo Valentino1, Francesca De Filippis1,2, Giuseppina Sequino1
1Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|July 11, 2023
Summary
Microbial biofilms on food processing equipment can survive sanitation, contaminating products with spoilage bacteria and pathogens. Microbiome mapping helps identify contamination sources and improve food safety strategies.
Area of Science:
- Food Microbiology
- Environmental Microbiology
- Food Safety
Background:
- Microbial biofilms on food processing equipment pose a risk of product contamination.
- These resilient communities can persist despite sanitation procedures.
- Transfer of microorganisms from surfaces to food products is a significant concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microbial contamination routes in an ice cream production facility.
- To identify microbial taxa and their functional genes in the processing environment.
- To assess the potential for microbial transfer from equipment surfaces to the final product.
Main Methods:
- Collection of food and environmental samples from an ice cream production facility.
- Taxonomic and functional analysis of microbial DNA from environmental swabs.
- Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) analysis for specific microbial insights.
Main Results:
- Complex microbial communities, dominated by psychrotrophic bacteria like Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, were identified.
- Genes associated with antimicrobial resistance and surface adherence were more abundant on food contact surfaces.
- Pseudomonas stutzeri MAGs revealed genes for biofilm formation and motility, indicating colonization potential.
- Evidence of microbial transfer from equipment surfaces to ice cream products was demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- Microbiome mapping is a valuable tool for tracking microbial contamination sources in food facilities.
- Understanding environmental microbial communities aids in developing targeted sanitization strategies.
- This approach enhances food quality and safety by detecting potentially hazardous microorganisms.
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