Influence of Environmental Stress on the Kinetics and Strength of Attachment of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A to Buna-N Rubber and Stainless Steel

Attachment and detachment of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A to Buna-N rubber and stainless Steel under varying conditions of temperature and pH were investigated using model systems. Numbers of attached cells increased with increasing attachment temperature (10 to 45°C) and time (up to 120 min) for both test surfaces. Compared to Buna-N rubber, the rate of attachment to stainless Steel was markedly more rapid for all temperature and pH conditions studied and could not be calculated. Rate of attachment to Buna-N rubber was found to be significantly lower when cells were attached at 10°C. Growth temperature did not significantly affect rates of adhesion to Buna-N rubber. Altering the medium pH during attachment between 4 and 9 demonstrated that rates of adhesion were slower under alkaline conditions. Growth pH was also found to significantly affect rates of attachment to Buna-N rubber. Detachment of cells adhered to Buna-N rubber was significantly affected by growth temperature but not growth pH. Significan...