Disrupting Cell Communication in Bacteria May Prevent Food-borne Illness

The rise in the number of food-borne illnesses from Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, coupled with the lack of an effective intervention method, has led to intense scientific research into prevention efforts. One solution may be interfering with quorum sensing, a sophisticated network of cell-to-cell communication in bacteria that may cause food-borne illness, according to a Scientific Status Summary published by the Institute of Food Technologists.

In the article, published in the January/February 2009 issue of the Journal of Food Science, authors Bassam A. Annous, Pina M. Fratamico and James L. Smith of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., review recent research on how inhibiting quorum sensing may help decrease food-borne illnesses.

According to the authors, “It may be possible for foods to be formulated to interfere with quorum sensing and thus inhibit growth of spoilage or pathogenic organisms, virulence, and biofilm formation, which would greatly benefit food production quality and safety.”

For more information on biofilms:

Journal of Food Science’s Scientific Status Summary: Quorum Sensing in Biofilms: Why Bacteria Behave the Way They Do.

Food Technology article on biofilms.

Quorum sensing press release.