title: Bioluminescence ATP monitoring for the routine assessment of food contact surface cleanliness in a university canteen.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy. a.osimani@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osimani
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy. c.garofalo@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy. f.clementi@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Clementi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy. s.tavoletti@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tavoletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, Ancona 60131, Italy. l.aquilanti@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aquilanti
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000379:methods*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005522:Food Services / Q000592:standards*; D006920:Hygiene; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D049449:Luminescence; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D014495:Universities
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate