A European network for mitigating bacterial colonisation and persistence on foods and food processing environments

Persistent bacteria on foods and processing sites are of great concern in the food industry, potentially causing continuous recontamination and safety problems. Removal of persistent bacteria and biofilms requires costly efforts leading to lost productivity and environmental issues. There is a need to combine and re-evaluate current scientific knowledge on the persistence of bacteria and to introduce new engineering approaches for controlling pathogens. The objective of this Action is to enable the development/promotion of targeted solutions for controlling risks associated with persistent bacteria and biofilms in the food industry. It involves a multidisciplinary network which will expand our knowledge on colonization and persistence, and validate/identify appropriate methods for monitoring colonisation patterns. Known and emerging intervention methods will be explored and re-evaluated. The knowledge obtained will be promoted to the relevant food industries and the scientific community.