More About Coronavirus Cleaning Verification Assessment in Syracuse, NY
HYGIENA ATP MONITORING SYSTEMS
In today’s world, impeccable hygiene control is an increasingly critical issue for employers. Hygiena’s ATP monitoring systems offer a state-of-the-art solution for organizations seeking to monitor and improve cleanliness. Recognized worldwide for accuracy, ease-of-use and affordability, the SystemSURE Plus and EnSURE ATP monitoring systems are used extensively by food and beverage processors, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, restaurants, supermarkets, janitorial/sanitation services and other industries where cleanliness is critical. The following are some of the benefits experienced by companies using ATP monitoring:
-
Instantly assess the cleanliness of production surfaces, allowing immediate corrective action to be taken before production begins.
-
Reduce the use of conventional microbiological testing methods that are slow, labor intensive and costly
-
Enhance cleaning and sanitation training with immediate performance feedback
-
Optimize cleaning chemicals, equipment and labor so that the plant can maintain a high cleanliness level without an excessive amount of waste
-
Standardize the level of cleanliness and verify efforts of sanitation personnel.
-
Record and track test results to identify problem areas, make improvements and show due diligence and compliance with HACCP, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and industry regulations.
WHAT IS ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE (ATP)?
ATP is an energy molecule found in all plant, animal and microbial cells. It fuels metabolic processes such as cellular reproduction, muscle contraction, plant photosynthesis, respiration in fungi, and fermentation in yeast. All organic matter (living or once-living) contains ATP, including food, bacteria, mold and other microorganisms. The detection of ATP on a surface or in water therefore indicates the presence of biological matter that may not otherwise be visible to the eye. In industries where plant hygiene control or cleanliness is crucial, ATP testing is an excellent tool for detecting and measuring biological matter that should not be present after cleaning.
MEASURING ATP WITH BIOLUMINESCENCE TECHNOLOGY
Hygiena ATP testing devices contain a natural enzyme found in fireflies. This enzyme, called luciferase, produces a simple bioluminescence (light-producing) reaction when it comes into contact with ATP. Using bioluminescence technology, the SystemSURE Plus and EnSURE luminometers can measure extremely low levels of ATP collected with testing devices. Measuring the amount of bioluminescence from an ATP reaction provides an excellent indication of surface cleanliness or water quality because the quantity of light generated by the reaction is directly proportional to the amount of ATP present in the sample. The bioluminescence reaction is immediate so results can be processed at the testing site in seconds. Results are expressed numerically on the luminometer screen in Relative Light Units (RLU).
INTPERPRETING RESULTS ON THE LUMINOMETER
The relationship between the amount of ATP collected in a sample and the RLU result displayed on the luminometer is linear, which makes understanding the technology very easy. The RLU reading is directly proportional to the amount of ATP collected from the sample. A high RLU reading indicates a large amount of ATP at the test location. This in turn indicates improper cleaning and the presence of potential contaminants. Cleaning properly results in less ATP at the location. Lower ATP levels produce smaller amounts of light output during the bioluminescence reaction and consequently, a lower RLU reading.
METHODS TO GAUGE CLEANLIENESS
-
Visual Inspection
-
Fluorescent Markers/Gels
-
Microbiology Testing
-
ATP Monitoring
ESTABLISHING YOUR FACILITY'S CONTROL POINTS
Test areas within your plant should be designated as “ATP control points” in your ATP hygiene monitoring plan. By monitoring these control points you will have reliable, real-time feedback on the cleanliness of a particular piece of equipment or areas being tested. It’s important that ATP testing be routinely performed on all important control points. This will ensure product quality, identify issues immediately, and allow valuable trending data to be used to improve plant hygiene. If you currently have HACCP or sanitation standard operating procedure (SSOP) programs in place, you will most likely have identified your control points that are contact and non-contact surfaces. Verification of cleanliness for these control points is sometimes done visually or by environmental microbiology samples. Start with these control points. Control points can be added or subtracted as your program develops. If you haven’t previously established control points, you need to determine areas where poor cleaning could affect product quality. This can be done by swabbing multiple areas on equipment and production line surfaces after routine cleaning. ATP levels will be higher in those spots that are harder to clean, spots that are missed in your current cleaning procedure, and spots that have developed biofilm. These areas should be established as control points for routine testing and monitoring.