Transfer of beef bacterial communities onto food-contact surfaces

Sixty-one of 972 beef isolates, 29 of 204 HDPE isolates, and 30 of 211 SS isolates were strong biofilm-formers (Absorbance>1.000 at 590 nm in the CV assay). Strong-binding isolates identified were of the genera <i>Pseudomonas</i>, <i>Acinetobacter</i>, <i>Psychrobacter</i>, <i>Carnobacterium</i>, and <i>Brochothrix</i>. Coupon bacterial communities among stores and cuts were distinct (<i>p</i> < 0.001, PERMANOVA), but there was no distinction between the communities found on HDPE or SS coupons (<i>p</i> > 0.050, PERMANOVA). The bacterial communities identified on the coupons may help determine the communities capable of transferring and colonizing onto surfaces, which can subsequently cross-contaminate foods.