Hygiene in the Food Industry

What is an ATP test?

ATP tests are often performed as part of hygiene monitoring. They integrate into the HACCP concept and provide a quick as well as an objective measurement of cleaning effectiveness and hygiene status in production plants.

The ATP test uses a luminescence measuring device to determine the amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the surface or liquid sample. ATP is the universal energy carrier in all organic things and can therefore detect the presence of organic substances in a sample. Regular ATP tests will only detect this molecule.

Stressed bacteria, for example after inefficient cleaning or due to lack of nutrition, are characterized by a significantly reduced metabolism compared to bacteria in cell division.

In such a stressed state, only the lower-energy derivatives adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) are often detectable in bacteria, which are not detectable in regular ATP test methods, although living bacteria are present.

Due to its patented technology, HyServe’s Lumitester Smart is particularly suitable for hygiene testing within seconds, as it measures not only ATP but also these components of bacteria and food residues, ADP and AMP, and converts them into measurable bioluminescence by using a specific biological pathway. This allows the detection of inactive and stressed bacteria as well as other organic contaminants.

Using HyServe’s ATP Lumitester Smart, the amount of bioluminescence is measured in relative light units, RLU. The more relative light units present, the higher the level of contamination.

Sampling is performed using a swab sample. This allows the effectiveness of cleaning measures to be assessed before and during food and beverage production. HyServe’s Lumitester Smart provides results in a very short time, allowing appropriate action to be taken immediately.