Every year, the food industry loses billions of euros because of the world’s smallest living organisms, bacteria. They reproduce mostly within natural protective matrices, a way of life called biofilm, which allows them to become increasingly resistant to conventional cleaning and disinfecting products. This is a real threat to the consumer, while the CDC* (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that every year 1 in 6 Americans (i.e. 48 million people) become ill, 128,000 are hospitalised and 3,000 die from food-borne diseases1.
The International Biofilm Summit (IBS) was introduced 7 years ago to raise awareness of the biofilm issue and share knowledge and solutions to ensure better quality end products. The International Biofilm Summit (IBS) is a global event featuring high quality presentations focusing on biofilm in the food industry. Since the first event in 2015, the IBS has been keeping the industry informed of the latest news on biofilm and innovative solutions. Biofilm is not only a public health issue, understanding and controlling it also plays a key role in terms of profitability. This summit is a unique crossroads where scientists, academics, managers, technicians and directors share experiences and inspiring solutions to ensure the safety and quality of end products.
In short, the IBS is a perfect mix of solutions, experiences and relevant case studies from all over the world to improve the production process, food quality and food preservation. A great opportunity to meet the finest selection of biofilm experts, food safety and quality managers and develop a professional network!
Realco is bringing together 150 of the world’s hygiene experts at an international summit to defuse the threat of biofilms, a time bomb for public health.
“In case of contamination in a factory, production can be halted at a cost of almost €25,000 per hour. The industry is therefore in dire straits and is becoming increasingly aware that conventional cleaning and disinfection techniques are no longer sufficient. Moreover, a distinction must be made between cleaning and disinfecting; you cannot disinfect something that is dirty! It is not by increasing the doses of disinfectants that we will achieve a result… on the contrary. It is necessary to anticipate, detect and destroy the matrix of these biofilms in order to more easily eliminate the bacteria they contain. To do this, it is best to understand this natural phenomenon and then apply the most optimal hygiene methods,” explains George Blackman, CEO de Realco and Vice Chairman of the IBS Council.
After Brussels in 2015, researchers from the private and academic worlds, as well as many managers from the Food & Beverage sector, gathered in sunny Lisbon in 2017. A new step in the fight for better hygiene was thus taken thanks to high-level presentations that shed light on the formation and complexity of biofilms, even going so far as to address the unprecedented phenomenon of communication between bacteria. Several case studies of contamination, crisis management and the implementation of preventive safeguards were also presented, enabling participants to learn more about the causes and consequences of contamination.
In 2019, we took advantage of CIBUS TEC, one of the most innovative exhibitions in terms of food technology, and decided to combine our knowledge and skills to create THE meeting point for all technicians, managers and professionals in the food industry. The aim was to offer them a complete showcase of the best solutions on the market to ensure the best quality finished products.
« By using the right combination of enzymes, it is now possible to break down the biofilm shell that conventional cleaning and disinfecting products slip through.” concludes George Blackman, CEO of Realco and Vice Chairman of the IBS Council. “Nature is good, and it is precisely because it is based on nature that our unique enzyme technology is so effective. All experts agree that this approach also breaks the vicious circle of chemical resistance in bacteria that ultimately puts us all at risk. »
1 https://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/estimates-overview.html
