On the surface What is the best way to test food preparation surfaces for bacterial contamination?
All food manufacturers and processors need to ensure the protection of their products from contamination. This is to protect customers and prevent food spoilage, which means a loss in productivity.
Microorganisms are, however, always present in food handling environments, so it is a case of managing safe levels. All food processing and handling companies should employ an environmental monitoring programme to regularly check for food spoilage microorganisms and food poisoning pathogens. A well-designed and thorough programme enables the detection of microbial contamination in a timely manner.
Testing should be carried out during production on a regular basis on all food contact surfaces and equipment, but also on non-food contact surfaces like drains, rollers or walls.
Currently food hygiene testing is done using ATP monitoring or TVC assessment. ATP is the universal energy carrier found in all living organisms, the food we eat, our bodies and microorganisms. The ATP content of foodstuff and body tissue is very large and is usually millions of times greater than that of microorganisms. TVC refers to a Total Viable Count, which gives a quantitative estimate of the concentration of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast or mould spores in a sample.
ATP testing often uses a break-bulb swab to provide a fast and direct measurement of cleaning efficiency, hygienic status and risk, primarily by the measurement of product residues. Corrective action can be implemented immediately, but the test detects ATP from all sources and cannot differentiate. It is also not always efficient in picking up low levels of energy, for example after a cleaning and disinfection operation, in cells that may later recover and grow. TVC on the other hand does reveal the presence of all viable bacterial populations but requires laboratory facilities, leading to a delay in obtaining results.
FreshCheck is a new and unique hygiene verification test that reveals the presence of viable bacterial populations and organic soiling on food contact and preparation surfaces in a matter of seconds.
Tested by Campden BRI, FreshCheck has proven to be effective at revealing the presence of low levels of both pathogenic and spoilage bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium. It takes 30
seconds to provide a qualitative presence (or absence) of contamination and covers a 5x5cm area, the same test area as the ATP Swab.
The product is sprayed onto a clean, dry surface and the original blue colour of the liquid will change if any contaminants are still on the surface in question. This can be measured against the colour-test guide on the product packaging. The result is immediate and thorough, as proven in testing carried out by Campden BRI. Specifically, Campden found that
L.Mono at a level of 102 organisms per 25cm2
Salmonella at the same level of contamination.
Ichiban UK, a Suffolk-based producer of sushi to the UK retail market, is an early adopter of new technology that benefits the quality and safety of their products and has been using this new product for two months now.
Jon Day, Ichiban Site Manager, commented: “FreshCheck is a novel, innovative and user-friendly way for hygiene professionals to instantly verify the effectiveness of the cleaning regime as well as being an ideal tool for training hygiene operatives in the areas they need to focus on. It is a very powerful addition to the arsenal of a hygiene manager.”
With its ease of use, rapid qualitative identification of bacterial populations and a low cost per test, FreshCheck offers a new alternative in the management and control of bacterial food safety. It is a patented formulation available from sole distributor Christeyns Food Hygiene.
www.christeynsfoodhygiene.co.uk
showed up quite clearly with FreshCheck, as did
46 | FOOD HYGIENE & STEAM CLEANING
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