Comparative analysis of biofilms in the meat and poultry processing industry: taxonomy and interactions

Yulia Yushina; Elena Zaiko; Andrey Mardanov; Yury Nikolaev; Evgeniy Gruzdev; Ekaterina Tikhonova; Anastasia Semenova; Anzhelika Makhova; Maria Grudistova; Dagmara Bataeva

doi:10.18485/meattech.2025.66.2.1

Yulia Yushina V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Talalikhina st., 26, 109316 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9265-5511
Elena Zaiko V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Talalikhina st., 26, 109316 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5048-9321
Andrey Mardanov Fundamentals of Biotechnology Federal Research Center of RAS, Leninsky Prospect, 14, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Yury Nikolaev Fundamentals of Biotechnology Federal Research Center of RAS, Leninsky Prospect, 14, 119991 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2264-6764
Evgeniy Gruzdev Fundamentals of Biotechnology Federal Research Center of RAS, Leninsky Prospect, 14, 119991 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7958-8457
Ekaterina Tikhonova Fundamentals of Biotechnology Federal Research Center of RAS, Leninsky Prospect, 14, 119991 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5306-9322
Anastasia Semenova V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Talalikhina st., 26, 109316 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4372-6448
Anzhelika Makhova V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Talalikhina st., 26, 109316 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2508-2888
Maria Grudistova V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Talalikhina st., 26, 109316 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8581-2379
Dagmara Bataeva V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Talalikhina st., 26, 109316 Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1374-2746

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2025.66.2.1

Keywords: microbial surface contamination, biofilms, high throughput sequencing

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the prevalence, taxonomic structure, and interactions of microbial communities in biofilms formed on surfaces in a meat processing plant (MPP) and a poultry processing plant (PPP). Using transmission electron microscopy and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region, biofilms were detected in 25% of MPP scrape samples (2/8) and in 85.7% of PPP scrape samples (6/7). Taxonomic analysis revealed the dominance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes in biofilms from both facilities, with marked heterogeneity in the MPP (Chao1 index: 336.8–697.8). Network association of microorganisms has identified a synergy between the genera Flavobacterium, Acinetobacter, and Psychrobacter, and an antagonism between the Marisediminicola and Pseudomonas/Acinetobacter, which highlights the complexity of inter-microbial interactions in industrial settings.