An Overview of Salmonella Biofilms and the Use of Bacteriocins and Bacteriophages as New Control Alternatives

Abstract

Salmonella is a major food-borne pathogen around the world. In the European Union (EU), this pathogen is responsible of more than 90,000 human cases of salmonellosis every year. Salmonellosis in normally linked to the consumption of contaminated food, especially poultry products as meat, eggs and the products elaborated with them. Several control measures have been implemented in the EU to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella in the food chain. However, the ability of Salmonella to form biofilm along the food chain difficult its eradication. Also, ineffective cleaning and disinfection measures favors biofilm formation. The widespread use of biocides along the food chain has led to the emergence of resistant Salmonella strains. Therefore, it is necessary to look for alternatives to biocides to eradicate Salmonella biofilms. In this chapter we evaluate the use of bacteriocins and bacteriophages and their derivatives as a new alternative to eliminate Salmonella biofilms along the food chain.