Novel Strategies for Removing Food Borne Pathogenic Bacteria from Food Surfaces

Bacteria can generate protective layers at surfaces which then protect these and other bacteria on that surface from cleaning procedures. Such protective layers are produced by members of the associative microflora of vegetable tissue and they can protect all organisms on the surface including food-borne pathogenic bacteria. There is evidence that similar layers promote the attachment of Listeria monocytogenes at surfaces. <P>
This project aims to establish the nature of the protective material which is suspected to be extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens. The longer term aim is develop means to degrade the protective layer or inhibit its production.