Effects of gaseous ozone on food-borne pathogens

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of gaseous ozone on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) strains with regard to biofilm production and survival. The experiment was conducted with six S. aureus strains and four L. monocytogenes strains. After exposure to ozone, the biofilm-forming abilities of bacteria were assessed. The treatment caused a mean reduction of 0.82 and 1.39 log units for S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, respectively. Although the effect of ozone gas on cell survival was minimal, biofilm production was affected. Much effort should be invested in examining the effects of gaseous ozone treatment on bacterial biofilm formation.