A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Chemical Sanitizer Efficacy Against Biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and STEC on Food Processing Surfaces

Chemical sanitizers are applied to food processing surfaces to inactivate bacterial pathogens. Pathogen type, surface type along with sanitizer type, concentration, and contact time are important factors potentially impacting sanitation efficacy. Numerous studies on chemical agents and lab-generated biofilms have been published; however, cross-study comparisons can be difficult. A systematic literature review (SLR) and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate chemical sanitizer efficacy against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) within lab-generated biofilms on food contact surfaces (FCSs). The SLR included 13 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2020. Sanitizer concentration, type, contact time, surface type, and bacteria type were explored using multilevel mixed effects models to determine their impact on bacterial log reduction on FCS. The overall estimated log reduction was 2.90 (effect size [ES]) with a 95% CI = 2.40, 3.39 (p < 0.0001). The multilevel mixed effects model estimated log reductions of 2.67–3.82 for peracetic acid (PAA), quaternary ammonium compounds, sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide + PAA, and calcium hypochlorite, with significant differences across sanitizers. No significant differences were found between L. monocytogenes and STEC; however, both pathogens were significantly different from Salmonella spp. All pathogens were significant predictors of mean log reduction (p < 0.0001). No significant differences were found between surface types, while all were significant predictors of mean log reduction (p < 0.0001). Neither sanitizer concentration (p = 0.5554) nor sanitizer contact time (p = 0.1800) were found to be significant predictors of estimated mean log reduction. These findings highlight the importance of specific sanitizers and tailored approaches based on surface types and pathogen considerations.