Charm PocketSwab ATP test

The Charm PocketSwab ATP test is used by food and beverage manufacturers, hospitals and other industries where rapid detection of possible food contamination is critical. It allows users to quickly determine the cleaning efficiency and hygienic status of food contact surfaces, ensure product quality and reduce costs of cleaning.

It is simple to use so that cleaning staff can use it to verify the cleaning work just completed and results are found in about 10 s.

ATP hygiene detection is a rapid method that gives instant results. The sample collection and testing devices are integrated in an all-in-one and ready-to-use swab, so cleaning crews can do the test themselves. When the test comes into contact with the reagent in the testing swab, light is emitted in direct proportion to the amount of ATP present. The amount of light is measured by a FireFly luminometer and is the only other equipment required.

The science behind the ATP systems stems from the study of fireflies. In fireflies, two chemicals, luciferin and luciferase, combine with the ATP in their cells to produce light.

ATP is the chemical that stores energy found in all animal, plant, bacterial, yeast and mould cells. Because ATP is present in all living cells, ATP sanitation monitoring systems detect the amount of organic matter that remains after cleaning. The amount of ATP detected, and where this ATP was detected, signals personnel of possible trouble spots that may need to be re-cleaned and the possible need for improvement in a facility’s cleaning protocols.

After cleaning, all sources of ATP should be significantly reduced. The higher the reading, the more contamination that is present. ATP hygiene monitoring provides accurate and traceable verification of the hygienic status of a surface, which is a key part of any hygiene program.

The system also has the option of PC software to allow downloading data for a database and trending of results.