The Role of Air and Aerosols in Contaminating Food Products During Food Processing

Foodborne illnesses are a significant public health issue. Microorganisms can spread through many points, including food, people, surfaces, and air (environments). Airborne microorganisms are biological airborne from the air as they are generated through aerosols. These aerosols are suspensions of microscopic solid or liquid particles in the air that can contain bacteria, viruses, and fungi and can contaminate food products or food contact surfaces. Consequently, airborne microorganisms are transmitted to people (customers) and cause foodborne illness. Therefore, air is considered one of the critical factors for cross-contamination. In the food industry, and during regular processing, food or food contact surfaces could be exposed to bioaerosols and become contaminated with airborne microorganisms. Therefore, hygiene and the production of safe food products should be the first food industry priority. This can be achieved by monitoring the air in food facilities and maintaining a clean and sanitary food processing environment to protect food products and food contact surfaces from airborne contamination. Monitoring the air of food facilities and using proper air disinfection methods are effective ways to prevent airborne contamination. Effective detection and identification of airborne microorganisms are critical to controlling the airborne organisms in food processing facilities. In addition, it is necessary to understand the factors or aspects that affect the presence of microorganisms in the air and their level in the food industry. Thus, this chapter covers the source of airborne microorganisms and their transmission in the food processing environment, methods of identifying and detecting airborne organisms, current novel and emerging approaches to control airborne organisms, significant factors that affect levels of airborne in the food processing environment, and future trends.