6 replies to this topic

[smart17]

Dear all, 

 

Can you recommended a Swab Kit Test ? I want to monitoring surfaces , hands and plastic containers .

 

Thanks a lot. 

[zanorias]

What is it you're swabbing for? Are you going to send the swabs to a lab or do you want swabs you can test on-site (assuming you don't have an internal lab)?

[zanorias]

Also, re-posting in the Food Microbiology section of the forum may help your chances of seeking answers

Edited by zanorias, 01 March 2019 - 11:53 AM.

[smart17]

Hi Zanorias , 

 

Mainly , I want for internal use for checking surfaces ,hands and plastic containers 

[zanorias]

What are you checking the surfaces for though? I.e. listeria/ATP/allergens. There's a range of options but it depends on what you're checking, preferences and compliance with standards/3rd party or customer requirements.

 

For example, I swab food contact surfaces in the production facility pre-production with ATP swabs which gives a result in less than a minute using a portable reader. I also swab for Listeria, ACC, Entero, and other microorganisms pre-production and send these to an external lab. For surface allergen testing for, say, cleaning validation I use swabs that can be tested on-site within 20 minutes without extra equipment. However for some customers we are required to send allergen swabs to the lab too for external validation.

 

So it really depends on a number of factors. Hope that makes sense? I presume you are a food manufacturer - what do you produce?

[smart17]

Hi Zanorias 

 

Thank you for your email, 

 

I want to measure the production facilities for Hygiene reason. 

So I want the instant reading  .I have found this :HYGIENA

ATP Hygiene Monitoring System - SystemSure Plus Luminometer (For use with ATP Swabs)

[zanorias]

https://www.hygiena....plus-other.html

 

That is the device I use. ATP is generally a good indicator of cleanliness and testing for it on surfaces will be suitable. You can set your own acceptable parameters on the device, which will of course depend on the operation you have going i.e. product/risk/environment.

 

Personally I'm not keen on ATP testing of hands as skin inevitably has ATP no matter how "clean" it is. Though Hygiena do approve it's use on hands, in a hospital setting at least. Instead I test for ACC, , S.aureus, Entero and E.coli using an external lab.