On 6th March 2025 in Nottingham, the Biofilm Alliance, in collaboration with the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) and the Food Standards Research Network (FSRN), held a workshop addressing one of the food sector’s most complex and persistent challenges: biofilms.

 

Biofilms pose a serious threat across the entire food supply chain—from agricultural environments to food processing facilities and consumer settings. These structured microbial communities can harbour harmful pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria, exhibit resistance to conventional cleaning agents, and contribute to both food spoilage and foodborne illness.

The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from academia, metrology institutions, regulatory bodies, and industry, covering the full sector from farm to fork. Participants discussed the current state of biofilm detection and control methodologies, shared insights on emerging needs and technological trends, and identified key opportunities to harmonise standards and strengthen regulatory frameworks.

 

This collaborative meeting marks a big step towards bridging scientific research with real-world industrial and regulatory practice, helping to create a pathway to more coherent, evidence-based biofilm management across the UK food sector.

Stay tuned for the full workshop report, to be published soon.