Biofilm is a structured community of microorganisms adhering to surfaces of various polymeric materials used in food packaging. Microbes in the biofilm may affect food quality. However, the presence of biofilm can ensure biodegradation of discarded packaging. This work aims to evaluate a biofilm formation on the selected biodegradable polymer films: poly (lactic acid) (PLA), poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), and poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) by selected bacterial strains; collection strains of Escherichiacoli, Staphylococcusaureus; and Bacillus pumilus, Bacillussubtilis, Bacillustequilensis, and Stenotrophomonasmaltophilia isolated from dairy products. Three different methods for biofilm evaluation were performed: the Christensen method, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and fluorescence microscopy. High biofilm formation was confirmed on the control PBS film, whereas low biofilm formation ability was observed on the PLA polymer sample. Furthermore, the films with incorporated antimicrobial compounds (thymol or eugenol) were also prepared. Antimicrobial activity and also reduction in biofilm formation on enriched polymer films were determined. Therefore, they were all proved to be antimicrobial and effective in reducing biofilm formation. These films can be used to prepare novel active food packaging for the dairy industry to prevent biofilm formation and enhance food quality and safety in the future.

Nanofibers have become a promising material in many industries in recent years, mainly due to their various properties. The only disadvantage of nanofibers as a potential filtration membrane is their short life due to clogging by bacteria in water treatment. The enrichment of nanofibers with active molecules could prevent these negative effects, represented by essential oils components such as Thymol, Eugenol, Linalool, Cinnamaldehyde and Carvacrol. Our study deals with the preparation of electrospun polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)-based nanofibers with incorporated essential oils, their characterization, testing their antibacterial properties and the evaluation of biofilm formation on the membrane surface. The study of the nanofibers’ morphology points to the nanofibers’ diverse fiber diameters ranging from 570 to 900 nm. Besides that, the nanofibers were detected as hydrophobic material with wettability over 130°. The satisfactory results of PVDF membranes were observed in nanofibers enriched with Thymol and Eugenol that showed their antifouling activity against the tested bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Therefore, these PVDF membranes could find potential applications as filtration membranes in healthcare or the environment.