(183o) Modification of Metal Surfaces with Superhydrophobic Nanotextures for Enhanced Food Safety and Hygiene

Foodborne illnesses represent a significant health burden in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey data, about 9.6 million Americans per year suffer from domestically acquired foodborne illness associated with 31 identified pathogens. A large fraction of foodborne illnesses are caused by bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Campylobacter spp. Due to frequent outbreaks occurring due to poor hygiene and improper sanitation of processing environments, there has been an increasing demand for the development of food-contact materials that inhibit and reduce microbial adherence and biofilm formation. In this poster, we report the synergistic surface nanotexturing and chemical modification of aluminum surfaces to produce coatings having bacterial super-repellant and mud anti-fouling characteristics. Using these coatings, the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Listeria innocua as pathogen surrogates has been reduced more than 99.0%, compared to the bare aluminum surfaces. In addition, the coating has strongly resisted the attachment of mud, showing a 10-fold reduction in the area of mud adhesion upon submerging in mud solution. Overall, this study contributes to the field of food safety through the design and development of novel coatings for achieving improved food safety and hygiene.