Changes in resistance of Salmonella Typhimurium biofilms formed under various conditions to industrial sanitizers

The aim of this study was to understand how different factors including biofilm age, attachment surface (stainless steel and acrylic) and various growth conditions such as different pH (pH 6 and 7) and temperature (28, 37 and 42 °C) affected the resistance of Salmonella Typhimurium biofilm against industrial sanitizers. The sanitizers tested were quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC, 200 ppm), mixed peroxyacetic acid/organic acids (PAO, 0.1%) and sodium hypochlorite (chlorine, 50 ppm). It was observed that, for biofilms formed at pH 7–37 °C, chlorine was the most effective sanitizer, followed by QAC and PAO. For all conditions tested, attachment surfaces didnʹt cause any significant difference in biofilm resistance against sanitizers. Increasing biofilm age led to an increase in resistance to sanitizers, although such effect was growth condition- and sanitizer-dependent. The resistance of biofilm formed on stainless steel at pH 6–37 °C increased with increasing biofilm ages. The effect of temperature and pH on biofilm resistance was dependent on biofilm ages. For 168-h biofilm formed at pH 6, the resistance to all three sanitizers was highest for 37 °C, followed by 28 and 42 °C; while biofilm formed at 37 °C for 168 h, pH 6 condition increased biofilm resistance to QAC and PAO, but not chlorine, compared with pH 7. These results indicate that the resistance of biofilms against sanitizers was dependent on biofilm age, temperature, and pH.