Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide, with beef and beef products as a common food reservoir. STEC strains may be present in beef-processing environments in the form of biofilms. The exudate of raw beef, also referred to as beef juice, has been identified as an important source of bacterial contamination on food-processing surfaces. This study applied beef juice as a food-based model to study its effects on biofilm formation of six STEC isolates on stainless steel. Crystal violet staining and cell enumeration demonstrated that beef juice inhibited the biofilm formation of strains O113, O145, and O91 up to 24 h at 22°C, but that biofilm increased (p < 0.05) thereafter over 72 h. Biofilms formed by O157, O111, and O45 were not affected by the addition of beef juice over the whole incubation period. Electron microscopy showed that the morphology of biofilm cells was altered and more extracellular matrix was produced with beef juice than with M9 medium. The present study demonstrated that beef juice residues on stainless steel can enhance biofilm formation of some STEC strains. Thorough and frequent cleaning of meat residues and exudate during meat production and handling is critical to reduce STEC biofilm formation even at 13°C.
Keywords: STEC; beef juice; biofilm formation; stainless steel.