Bioluminescence ATP Monitoring for the Routine Assessment of Food Contact Surface Cleanliness in a University Canteen

Andrea Osimani, Cristiana Garofalo, Francesca Clementi, Stefano Tavoletti and Lucia Aquilanti
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Andrea Osimani: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy
Cristiana Garofalo: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy
Francesca Clementi: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy
Stefano Tavoletti: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy
Lucia Aquilanti: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: ATP bioluminescence monitoring and traditional microbiological analyses (viable counting of total mesophilic aerobes, coliforms and Escherichia coli ) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) at a university canteen which uses a HACCP-based approach. To that end, 10 cleaning control points (CPs), including food contact surfaces at risk of contamination from product residues or microbial growth, were analysed during an 8-month monitoring period. Arbitrary acceptability limits were set for both microbial loads and ATP bioluminescence readings. A highly significant correlation ( r = 0.99) between the means of ATP bioluminescence readings and the viable counts of total mesophilic aerobes was seen, thus revealing a strong association of these parameters with the level of surface contamination. Among CPs, the raw meat and multi-purpose chopping boards showed the highest criticalities. Although ATP bioluminescence technology cannot substitute traditional microbiological analyses for the determination of microbial load on food contact surfaces, it has proved to be a powerful tool for the real time monitoring of surface cleanliness at mass catering plants, for verify the correct application of SSOP, and hence for their implementation/revision in the case of poor hygiene.

Keywords: Clean-Trace ATP system; surface cleanliness; HACCP; cleaning control points; hygiene; food safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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