instore - September 2016 - CI16

Technology: Luminometer hygiene monitoring By Stephanie DeCamp ith FSMA changing standard operating procedures to focus on prevention as opposed to damage control when it comes to foodborne pathogens, luminometer technology and ATP testing can enable detection, verification, and documentation to go hand-inhand with your commissary's revamped sanitary maintenance programs. W Luminometers measure the potential for bacterial presence, basically detecting if a given area is a welcome environment that could harbor bacterial growth if said bacteria were to land there. Tom Dewey, food safety global marketing manager of 3M, a company that produces the 3M Clean-Trace Hygiene Monitoring and Management System (among numerous other technologies), says the purpose of the machine and its software is for documented verification that certain areas of a commissary or any other food production facility are sanitized as needed. "This is a technology used for verifying cleaning and sanitation, not specifically detecting and identifying microorganisms," he says. "The data generated from the tests provide the basis for making the decision that surfaces and rinse water are clean and ready for food production or preparation." The technology gives instant readings and is considered more affordable and faster than sending off samples to a microbiology lab, which can give you more detailed results, but can take three to four days to receive. Using a luminometer system supplies more generalized results, but it still works on a molecular level to enable daily evaluations. "While microbiology testing is still an im- portant part of an environmental monitoring program, it doesn't provide the immediate feedback needed in a rapidly moving food processing facility," says Lauren Roady, marketing manager at Hygiena, whose luminometer system, called the SystemSURE Plus, also includes a handheld device and software to catalog immediate readings of any given water or production surface. "Managers need to know if equipment is clean and surfaces are safe before a shift begins and before food is processed or handled on that equipment. The risk is simply too high to cross our fingers and hope results come back clean in 3-5 days. ATP testing, on the other hand, is extremely affordable and takes only 15 seconds per test. So a manager can check all the necessary control points or surfaces in a food handling environment in just a few minutes to ensure surfaces will not pose cross-contamination risks, endangering consumers." "From a process standpoint," Dewey explains, "samples are collected from surfaces within a food processing or retail environment and then inserted into the luminometer handheld device. If a sample has any adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - an energy molecule found in all organic cells, including microorganisms - a chemical reaction inside the test immediately produces light. Therefore, the luminometer is a diagnostic tool that identifies low levels of light resulting from a biological/chemical reaction. This light, imperceptible to the naked eye, emanates from microorganisms that may be present in the areas tested." But what exactly is ATP? According to Roady, it's found in varying levels in all organic materials. "When surfaces and kitchen tools are properly and thoroughly cleaned, ATP is significantly reduced if not eliminated from that surface. A surface that is properly cleaned cannot harbor bacterial growth or enable development of biofilm, which is basically a build-up of microorganisms that forms over time when surfaces are not thoroughly and consistently cleaned." Because of its increased evolution as a quick and easy way of sanitization verification over the years, Roady says ATP testing has grown to be the standard PHOTO: 3M FOOD SAFETY 16 * SEPTEMBER 2016 * commissary INSIDER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - September 2016