Safety Through Verification: Next Generation Sanitation Monitoring

September 2022

With public awareness around sanitation heightened by the global pandemic, it has never been more important for food manufacturers to ensure their environments are clean and safe.

Why is sanitation verification important? Because it validates that a facility’s cleaning efforts have worked. While surfaces may look clean, some contamination and debris aren’t visible to the naked eye.

In food manufacturing, food safety is paramount. And the foundation of any food safety program is sanitation, which is why having an effective environmental monitoring process in place is vital. This provides assurance that all surfaces are in fact clean and mitigates the risk of contamination from the site.

According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand statistics, of the 776 food recalls in the decade spanning 2012 to 2021 over one quarter (201 or 26%) were due to microbial contamination.

As part of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s commitment to environmental safety – whether that’s on the production line or in the clinic – this essential step in the safety workflow is covered with the NEOGEN sanitation monitoring solution.

Utilising advanced ATP (adenosine triphosphate) testing, the NEOGEN AccuPoint Advanced Next Generation (NG) monitoring system is a complete solution that comprises a handheld instrument, surface samplers and a data manager software tool.

ATP is a chemical compound found in all living cells, including bacteria, food debris, yeast, and mould. ATP testing is considered the standard for verifying cleanliness because it tests for the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria on the environmental surface. If an ATP reading is high, it means more cleaning is required before microbes on the surface grow to dangerous levels.

The NEOGEN AccuPoint Advanced NG measures the amount of ATP present in surface test samples by using bioluminescence – or relative light units. It accurately detects any low levels of ATP residue, even when a surface appears visibly clean.

Importantly, the AccuPoint Advanced NG is simple to use – it doesn’t require any scientific expertise. The instrument itself is handheld and has colour touchscreen that works with gloves. Completely wireless, transferring data is easy and the in-built software provides users with results in under 10 seconds.

Additionally, there are three types of samplers to ensure for accurate testing. The surface sampler comes with a unique flat head which enables significant surface contact to recover ATP. There is also an AccuPoint access sampler that allows for testing in tight areas where surfaces may be difficult to reach, and a water sampler for liquid samples.

NEOGEN AccuPoint Advanced Next Generation product highlights:

• High detection capability
• Robust, handheld instrument with rubberised edges
• Easy to use – no scientific knowledge required
• Reliable results in under 10 seconds

For more information on this product, visit Neogen AccuPoint Advanced ATP Systems.

References:

1. Food recalls, FSANZ