Sogin Jonathan H, Lopez Velasco Gabriela, Yordem Burcu, Lingle Cari K, David John M, Cobo Mario, Worobo Randy W
Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
3M Company, St. Paul, MN, USA.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021 Mar 1;87(5). doi: 10.1128/AEM.02278-20. Epub 2020 Dec 23.
Rapid ATP testing and microbiological enumeration are two common methods to monitor the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitation in the food industry. In this study, ATP testing and microbiological enumeration were implemented at a tofu production facility with the goal of improving cleaning practices and overall plant hygiene. Results from ATP monitoring were used to target areas of the production environment needing additional cleaning; ATP results were verified by microbiological enumeration of aerobic microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds. Products from the production line were enumerated for the same microorganisms to determine if there was an impact on product quality. After the implementation of ATP monitoring and targeted cleaning, there was a statistically lower proportion of swabs that failed to meet established sanitary requirements for ATP, aerobic microorganisms, and lactic acid bacteria (p < 0.05), but not for yeasts and molds. ATP swabs and microbiological enumeration agreed on site hygiene 75.1% (72.3-77.7%, 95% CI) of the time. Product data indicated that unpasteurized finished products contained a statistically lower microbial load of the three groups of organisms following implementation of the practices (p < 0.05).Cleaning and sanitation are critical to maintaining safe and high-quality food production. Monitoring these activities is important to ensure proper execution of procedure and to assure compliance with regulatory guidelines. The results from monitoring activities can direct targeted cleaning of areas with higher risk of contamination from foodstuffs and microorganisms. The results of this study show that ATP monitoring and microbiological enumeration are useful tools to verify and improve the efficacy of cleaning and sanitation practices, which can have a positive impact on both plant hygiene and product quality. However, testing regimes and critical parameters will vary based on the product and facility.
快速ATP检测和微生物计数是食品工业中监测清洁和卫生效果的两种常用方法。在本研究中，在一家豆腐生产厂实施了ATP检测和微生物计数，目的是改进清洁操作和整体工厂卫生状况。ATP监测结果用于确定生产环境中需要额外清洁的区域；ATP结果通过对需氧微生物、乳酸菌以及酵母菌和霉菌的微生物计数进行验证。对生产线上的产品进行相同微生物的计数，以确定是否对产品质量有影响。实施ATP监测和针对性清洁后，未达到ATP、需氧微生物和乳酸菌既定卫生要求的拭子比例在统计学上较低（p<0.05），但酵母菌和霉菌的比例并非如此。ATP拭子和微生物计数在75.1%（72.3 - 77.7%，95%置信区间）的时间内对现场卫生状况的判断一致。产品数据表明，实施这些措施后，未杀菌的成品中这三类微生物的微生物负荷在统计学上较低（p<0.05）。清洁和卫生对于维持安全和高质量的食品生产至关重要。监测这些活动对于确保程序的正确执行以及确保符合监管指南很重要。监测活动的结果可以指导对受食品和微生物污染风险较高的区域进行针对性清洁。本研究结果表明，ATP监测和微生物计数是验证和提高清洁和卫生措施效果的有用工具，这对工厂卫生和产品质量都能产生积极影响。然而，检测方案和关键参数会因产品和设施而异。
