Biofilm formation and genetic profiles of Escherichia coli isolated from milk and flavoured milk

Abstract

Biofilm-forming Escherichia coli is an important concern in the food industry because it can cause persistent contamination of food products and lead to diseases in consumers. E. coli has the ability to form biofilms through the action of various genes involved in their development in food and food-processing environments. In the present study, biofilm-forming E. coli was evaluated in milk and flavoured milk samples. Positive E. coli strains were tested for the presence of different genes associated with biofilm formation. Among the isolates from raw milk samples, 42.8% were strong biofilm producers, while 28.5% were weak or moderate producers. In the flavoured milk samples, two isolates were weak producers and one isolate was a strong producer. Molecular characterisation results revealed that the biofilm-associated gene luxS was prevalent in all strains isolated from both milk and flavoured milk samples, followed by csgA and fimH. No amplification of papC was detected in any of the strains. This study provides insights into the prevalence of genes associated with the biofilm-forming capability of E. coli and highlights the importance of addressing these threats in the food industry.