In our latest episode of Behind Clean Lines, we’ve brought in Debra Smith, a global hygiene specialist at Vikan, to share expert advice and actionable insights about biofilms and how they affect food safety. It’s a must-listen for anyone passionate about continuous improvement in their facilities.
Biofilm might sound harmless, but for food manufacturers, it’s a hidden threat that can take a serious toll on hygiene standards – and on your bottom line. Left unchecked, it risks production downtime, costly recalls, and long-term damage to your reputation.
In this episode of ‘Behind Clean Lines’, Mikkel Svold is again joined by Debra Smith, a global hygiene expert and biologist at Vikan. Together, they cut through the jargon and get straight to the practical advice on tackling biofilm;
Deb shares real-world tips, from getting your engineering and hygiene teams on the same page, to using smarter cleaning tools and detergents that actually work. She even reveals why walking the factory floor with your night shift team might just change everything.
If food safety and protecting your operations matter to you, this episode is worth your time. Give it a listen, and take away ideas you can act on today.
In the episode, you’ll learn about:
Differences between biofilms and single-celled microbes in cleaning.
Effective cleaning methods for combating biofilms in food factories.
Importance of validated cleaning and disinfection protocols.
Role of a cross-functional task force in biofilm management.
Emerging technologies for improved biofilm control.
Strategies for nurturing a strong food safety culture.
Episode Contents
Listed below are the most essential timestamps from the podcast episode to make it easier for you to find the topics that interest you.
00:09 Introduction to the episode and guest, Deb Smith
00:53 Key differences between biofilm and single-celled microbes
01:45 Effective cleaning and disinfection methods for biofilm
04:10 The concept and importance of a joint task force
07:06 Common contradictions in hygiene and engineering teams
10:49 Emerging technologies for biofilm management in food industry
12:23 First steps for implementing better hygienic practices
14:04 Challenges of instilling a strong food safety culture
This podcast is brought to you by NGI
This podcast is produced by Montanus
UK
