Bacterial biofilms on food industry surfaces are potential sources of contamination for food products coming in contact with these surfaces. The development of biofilms in food processing environments may lead to food spoilage or transmission of diseases. This paper describes the formation of microbial biofilms on food contact surfaces, their characteristics, and strategies for removal of adhered microorganisms (cleaning and disinfection) or for preventing microbial adhesion to surfaces (optimizing equipment design, altering surface chemistry, treating with antimicrobial agents).