Will Listeria monocytogenes biofilm in the food industry withstand the eco-friendly technologies? Recent findings on electrolyzed water, plasma-activated water, ozone, and enzymes

Listeria monocytogenes can persist in food processing environments, mainly thanks to its biofilm-forming abilities. Alongside classical decontamination methods, environmentally friendly technologies, including electrolyzed water (EW), plasma-activated water (PAW), ozone, and enzymes, with considerable antimicrobial potential, were recently proposed as antibiofilm strategies. However, data published in recent years suggest significant variability in the response of L. monocytogenes biofilms to these approaches. This phenomenon seems related to environmental conditions/parameters and to genetic determinants or resistance mechanisms of different strains. The implementation of eco-friendly antibiofilm approaches in cleaning and disinfection protocols in food industries should begin from an in-depth knowledge of production environments and cannot be disregarded from the understanding of genetic features and resistance patterns that this fearsome pathogen might develop against the new stressors.