Though ATP (adenosine triphosphate) bioluminescence testing can’t distinguish between Listeria or Salmonella or any other organic residue left behind after cleaning, a positive test result should put a delay on production until the equipment and surfaces can be verified to be clean. Shortening the results time in testing can mean more samples tested and more areas verified as clean—which allows more time for production.
3M Food Safety’s Clean-Trace Hygiene Monitoring and Management System has always been fast, but the search continues for methods to improve testing speed and accuracy. And surprisingly— photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), which have been around since the 1940s, provide an excellent way to increase sensitivity, improve precision, shorten testing time and increase the number of samples that can be checked.