Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Rapid test metods for Micro load

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic
- - - - -

QA trainee

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 14 posts
  • 0 thanks
0
Neutral

  • South Africa
    South Africa
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South africa

Posted 20 May 2009 - 05:45 PM

Hi all

I hope some one can help me on this one. i am looking for some help on a rapid test method to determine microbial load on machinery surfaces after cleaning.

Currently machinery at the plant is stripped and cleaned and released by a visual inspection by the microbiologist, however the final product counts after cleaning, still do become high from time to time.

so we are looking at a solution where a rapid test could be done to verify immediately or asap what the hygiene status of the machinery are after cleaning.

i do realise that microbial load may be very vague and a specific organism may be more accurate, but something along these lines to assist the production staff on verifying the effectiveness of cleaning.

any ideas guys??

Many thanks



SaRaRa

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 186 posts
  • 13 thanks
2
Neutral

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male

Posted 20 May 2009 - 06:33 PM

Hello!

I couldn't find much with a quick search...
I found this book: "Validation of Pharmaceutical Processes" and maybe you 'll find something useful in the following link. I know its about Pharmaceuticals but I think it describes methods there that might be applicable to Food Industries... no?
:sofa1:

Viable Enviromental Microbiological Monitoring

I also found the following:

Sampling of Surfaces - Equipment and Physical Plant

Cheers!



Simon

    IFSQN...it's My Life

  • IFSQN Admin
  • 12,826 posts
  • 1363 thanks
880
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Manchester
  • Interests:Married to Michelle, Father of three boys (Oliver, Jacob and Louis). I enjoy cycling, walking and travelling, watching sport, especially football and Manchester United. Oh and I love food and beer and wine.

Posted 21 May 2009 - 07:49 AM

Does anyone use rapid test equipment like Biotrace for quick micro results in production.


Get FREE bitesize education with IFSQN webinar recordings.
 
Download this handy excel for desktop access to over 180 Food Safety Friday's webinar recordings.
https://www.ifsqn.com/fsf/Free%20Food%20Safety%20Videos.xlsx

 
Check out IFSQN’s extensive library of FREE food safety videos
https://www.ifsqn.com/food_safety_videos.html


Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 21 May 2009 - 03:30 PM

I would hv guessed that ATP kits were currently the most popular solution for rapid evaluation of surface cleanliness .

eg (there are many others) http://www.droptestk.../atp-meters.htm

Rgds / Charles.C

added - Simon's previously mentioned Biotrace also offers an ATP based "luminometer"


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


AS NUR

    Grade - PIFSQN

  • IFSQN Principal
  • 582 posts
  • 60 thanks
9
Neutral

  • Indonesia
    Indonesia
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:east java, indonesia

Posted 22 May 2009 - 12:54 AM

in my company (non dairy creamer produceer)..we use HYLITE, ATP test based equipment, The system using RLU (relative ligh unit) to conform the cleanlines of equipment after cleaning process (CIP or COP)... we only take 1 minutes to get the result.....



Simon

    IFSQN...it's My Life

  • IFSQN Admin
  • 12,826 posts
  • 1363 thanks
880
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Manchester
  • Interests:Married to Michelle, Father of three boys (Oliver, Jacob and Louis). I enjoy cycling, walking and travelling, watching sport, especially football and Manchester United. Oh and I love food and beer and wine.

Posted 23 May 2009 - 09:07 AM

Any help QA Trainee?


Get FREE bitesize education with IFSQN webinar recordings.
 
Download this handy excel for desktop access to over 180 Food Safety Friday's webinar recordings.
https://www.ifsqn.com/fsf/Free%20Food%20Safety%20Videos.xlsx

 
Check out IFSQN’s extensive library of FREE food safety videos
https://www.ifsqn.com/food_safety_videos.html


DavidB

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 23 posts
  • 1 thanks
0
Neutral

  • Australia
    Australia

Posted 26 May 2009 - 01:53 AM

We use protein detection swabs to verifying cleaning. This is to determine the effectiveness of wet cleaning methods on food contact surfaces. The advantages of this over ATP method is that its inexpensive and easy to do as you can use more swabs per area sampled than ATP method, and also covers verifying removing traces of allergen proteins required for allergen management (we do an allergen clean before running a non allergen containing product). If there is no protein then cleaning is effective, allergens removed and microbial load is likely to be low (you could try both ATP and protein together as a means of validating the use of protein swabs).
good luck.



Simon

    IFSQN...it's My Life

  • IFSQN Admin
  • 12,826 posts
  • 1363 thanks
880
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Manchester
  • Interests:Married to Michelle, Father of three boys (Oliver, Jacob and Louis). I enjoy cycling, walking and travelling, watching sport, especially football and Manchester United. Oh and I love food and beer and wine.

Posted 28 May 2009 - 02:30 PM

Is the feedback helpful QATrainee? Any further questions?


Get FREE bitesize education with IFSQN webinar recordings.
 
Download this handy excel for desktop access to over 180 Food Safety Friday's webinar recordings.
https://www.ifsqn.com/fsf/Free%20Food%20Safety%20Videos.xlsx

 
Check out IFSQN’s extensive library of FREE food safety videos
https://www.ifsqn.com/food_safety_videos.html


GMO

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 2,791 posts
  • 721 thanks
225
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

Posted 28 May 2009 - 08:19 PM

We use ATP swabs at the insistance of our Group. I think they're useful but the amount we use make it very expensive for the benefit. I've also had clear results on ATP swabs before and positive pathogen swabs. They're not foolproof but they are an indication. I think a good visual check if you can can be just as effective if not more so. I once had a low ATP score reported by a QA but she was concerned as she could see debris! I pointed out that the debris meant a reclean was necessary irrespective of the RLU reading. As soon as you have an official looking bit of kit like a luminometer, people sometimes forget their eyes and their brains!



Tony-C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 4,223 posts
  • 1288 thanks
608
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:World
  • Interests:My main interests are sports particularly football, pool, scuba diving, skiing and ten pin bowling.

Posted 14 June 2009 - 03:56 AM

I once had a low ATP score reported by a QA but she was concerned as she could see debris! I pointed out that the debris meant a reclean was necessary irrespective of the RLU reading. As soon as you have an official looking bit of kit like a luminometer, people sometimes forget their eyes and their brains!


I agree my staff were trained not to swab unless visibly clean in the first place.




Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users