Evaluation of two methods for monitoring surface cleanliness—ATP bioluminescence and traditional hygiene swabbing (original) (raw)

Bioluminescence ATP Monitoring for the Routine Assessment of Food Contact Surface Cleanliness in a University Canteen

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2014

ATP bioluminescence monitoring and traditional microbiological analyses (viable counting of total mesophilic aerobes, coliforms and Escherichia coli) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) at a university canteen which uses a HACCP-based approach. To that end, 10 cleaning control points (CPs), including food contact surfaces at risk of contamination from product residues or microbial growth, were analysed during an 8-month monitoring period. Arbitrary acceptability limits were set for both microbial loads and ATP bioluminescence readings. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.99) between the means of ATP bioluminescence readings and the viable counts of total mesophilic aerobes was seen, thus revealing a strong association of these parameters with the level of surface contamination. Among CPs, the raw meat and multi-purpose chopping boards showed the highest criticalities. Although ATP bioluminescence technology cannot substitute traditional microbiological analyses for the determination of microbial load on food contact surfaces, it has proved to be a powerful tool for the real time monitoring of surface cleanliness at mass catering plants, for verify the correct application of SSOP, and hence for their implementation/revision in the case of poor hygiene.

www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph Article Bioluminescence ATP Monitoring for the Routine Assessment of Food Contact Surface Cleanliness in a University Canteen

2014

Abstract: ATP bioluminescence monitoring and traditional microbiological analyses (viable counting of total mesophilic aerobes, coliforms and Escherichia coli) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) at a university canteen which uses a HACCP-based approach. To that end, 10 cleaning control points (CPs), including food contact surfaces at risk of contamination from product residues or microbial growth, were analysed during an 8-month monitoring period. Arbitrary acceptability limits were set for both microbial loads and ATP bioluminescence readings. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.99) between the means of ATP bioluminescence readings and the viable counts of total mesophilic aerobes was seen, thus revealing a strong association of these parameters with the level of surface contamination. Among CPs, the raw meat and multi-purpose chopping boards showed the highest criticalities. Although ATP bioluminescence technology cannot ...

ATP-bioluminescence assay as an alternative for hygiene-monitoring procedures of stainless steel milk contact surfaces

Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 2006

ATP-bioluminescence assay was used to evaluate the cleaning and sanitizing procedures of stainless steel milk contact surfaces. Surfaces of a raw milk transportation tank, a raw milk cooling storage tank, an equalization pasteurizing tank, a pasteurized milk storage tank and a pasteurized milk packaging tank, as well as a milk centrifuge were evaluated. The Relative Light Unit (RLU) using a commercial luminometer and mesophilic aerobic counts (CFU.cm-2) on surfaces were determined. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in RLU on the assessed surfaces before and after the cleaning and sanitizing procedures. Also, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in CFU.cm-2 on the surfaces before the cleaning and sanitizing procedures, whereas different bacterial numbers were found on surfaces after the hygiene procedures. The surfaces of the milk centrifuge, raw milk cooling tank and milk packaging tank showed the largest mesophilic aerobic numbers after the hygiene, rea...

Efficiency of cleaning and disinfection of surfaces: correlation between assessment methods

Revista brasileira de enfermagem

to assess the correlation among the ATP-bioluminescence assay, visual inspection and microbiological culture in monitoring the efficiency of cleaning and disinfection (C&D) of high-touch clinical surfaces (HTCS) in a walk-in emergency care unit. a prospective and comparative study was carried out from March to June 2015, in which five HTCS were sampled before and after C&D by means of the three methods. The HTCS were considered dirty when dust, waste, humidity and stains were detected in visual inspection; when ≥2.5 colony forming units per cm2 were found in culture; when ≥5 relative light units per cm2 were found at the ATP-bioluminescence assay. 720 analyses were performed, 240 per method. The overall rates of clean surfaces per visual inspection, culture and ATP-bioluminescence assay were 8.3%, 20.8% and 44.2% before C&D, and 92.5%, 50% and 84.2% after C&D, respectively (p<0.001). There were only occasional statistically significant relationships between methods. the methods d...

Evaluation of baseline cleanliness of food contact surfaces in Basrah Governorate restaurants using ATP-bioluminescence to assess the effectiveness of HACCP application in Iraq

Italian Journal of Food Science

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system prevents and manages physical, chemical and biological risks at places where foods and beverages are processed, packaged, distributed and consumed. The present study (1) assessed the level of microbial contamination of food contact surfaces using adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-bioluminescence in Iraq restaurants; (2) investigated the level of microbial contamination of food contact surfaces; and (3) evaluated the efficiency of sanitizers in removing biological hazards from food contact surfaces. The ATP-bioluminescence discovered the presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on surfaces and tools. Results also showed that the HACCP application was very effective in the amelioration of food quality.

Assessment of Performance of Two Rapid Methods for On-Site Control of Microbial and Biofilm Contamination

Applied Sciences, 2020

(1) Background: The validation of hygiene procedures in food industries is paramount to ensure that food contact surfaces are properly decontaminated before production. Rapid, sensitive and reliable tools are needed for routine hygiene validation in order to increase food safety levels. Two novel tools for biofilm detection (TBF 300) and detection of low levels of microbial contamination (FreshCheck) have been assessed. (2) Methods: Biofilms of relevant food pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were grown for 3 and 10 days to assess the performance of the biofilm detection product. Surfaces were inoculated with different levels of L. monocytogenes to determine the limit of detection of FreshCheck. (3) Results: TBF 300 visibly stained 3 days-old biofilms of both pathogens, containing 5.0-5.4 log CFU/cm 2. FreshCheck showed a positive reaction with contamination levels as low as 10 CFU/cm 2 for L. monocytogenes. (4) Conclusions: Assessment of the hygienic status of food contact surfaces before production can be greatly improved with the use of the two novel tools evaluated in this study. The detection of microorganisms' presence at very low levels of contamination as well as identification of biofilm growth spots is available in a rapid and easy way, with a big potential contribution to food safety.

Cleaning and decontamination efficacy of wiping cloths and silver dihydrogen citrate on food contact surfaces

2012

Aims: To test the efficacy of four wipe cloth types (cotton bar towel, nonwoven, microfibre and blended cellulose ⁄ cotton) with either quaternary ammonia cleaning solution or silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) in cleaning food contact surfaces. Methods: Swab samples collected from untreated, cloth-treated and cloth disinfectant-treated surfaces were subjected to hygiene monitoring using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence and aerobic total plate counting (TPC) assays. Results: Adenosine triphosphate measurements taken after wiping the surfaces showed poor cleaning by nonwoven cloths (2AE89 RLU 100 cm)2) than the microfibre (2AE30 RLU 100 cm)2), cotton terry bar (2AE26 RLU 100 cm)2) and blended cellulose ⁄ cotton cloth types (2AE20 RLU 100 cm)2). The cellulose ⁄ cotton cloth showed highest log reduction in ATP-B RLU values (95%) and CFU values (98AE03%) when used in combination with SDC disinfectant. Conclusions: Cleaning effect of wiping cloths on food contact surfaces can be enhanced by dipping them in SDC disinfectant. ATP-B measurements can be used for real-time hygiene monitoring in public sector, and testing microbial contamination provides more reliable measure of cleanliness. Significance and Impact of the Study: Contaminated food contact surfaces need regular hygiene monitoring. This study could help to estimate and establish contamination thresholds for surfaces at public sector facilities and to base the effectiveness of cleaning methods.

Microbial Testing Methods for Detection of Residual Cleaning Agents and Disinfectants—Prevention of ATP Bioluminescence Measurement Errors in the Food Industry

Journal of Food Protection, 2000

The ATP luminescence measurement is based on the presence of an enzymatic reaction and may significantly be affected by cleaning agents and disinfectants. In addition, disinfectants can also reduce the activity of the luciferase enzyme and also act as ATP-releasing agents. The agents disrupt the cell walls but preserve ATP in measurable form, and therefore correlation with culture methods can be poor. Therefore, if a rapid method is used to detect ATP, a control must be used for reliable results. The possible effect of disinfectants can be eliminated with a rapid test to minimize sources of error. In the present study a microbiological residue testing method that is nonspecific for residues was developed. The effects of a total of 38 commercial cleaning agents and disinfectants of various types were assessed using two microbiological methods, the Vibrio fischeri photobacteria test and Micrococcus luteus inhibition zone technique. The results show that the V. fischeri photobacteria t...

A comparison of surface sampling methods for detecting coliforms on food contact surfaces

Food Microbiology, 2002

Newly developed self-contained swab-based methods were assessed for their ability to detect low levels of coliform bacteria on food contact surfaces. Their performance, under controlled laboratory conditions, was compared to a range of conventional microbiological methods, including traditional hygiene swabs, dipslides and sampling sponges. Stainless steel surfaces were inoculated with known levels of coliform bacteria and were sampled immediately after inoculation whilst still wet, or after they had been allowed to air-dry for 1h. The sampling sponge was the least e¡ective means of detecting coliforms on a wet surface, having a minimum detection limit of approximately 100 cfu cm À2 , whereas all other test methods were able to detect the presence of o3 Á 5 cfu cm À2. Allowing inoculated surfaces to dry resulted in a marked reduction in the minimum detection limits of all test methods although this was less for dipslides and the newly developed media-based hygiene swabs. A novel chemiluminescent swab-based assay was capable of providing results in 5 h, comparable to those obtained using traditional spread plates. The results of this study suggest that during the hygienic assessment of food contact surfaces when testing for coliforms, newly developed self-contained swab-based methods, including one giving results in 5 h, could prove a valuable tool for use within an integrated cleaning monitoring strategy.