Clean Hands: Real Time Surface Readings to Protect The Ready-To-Serve Hand®

Rapid measurement technology can reduce hand-contamination and provide decision-support information

Cleaner surfaces. Cleaner hands. Safer food.

Setting standards, monitoring and reporting hand cleanliness factors is critical for one very simple reason: What gets measured gets done.

Two Safe Level standards include the quality of the handwash and the frequency. These are covered under ProGrade and the Hands-On System.

A third measurement in this information-starved area, is a group of readings taken of designated high-risk high-transfer surfaces. This system is dubbed The Dirty Dozen.

The Dirty Dozen System, following a basic HACCP approach, is used to help set standards, train staff and document surface cleanliness in foodservice. Handwashing For Life recommends key surfaces be checked more frequently thanks to this convenient surface-prioritized rapid-read system using ATP technology.

Fecal contaminated surface to hand - to new surface - to new hand is an important sequence to consider when prioritizing surfaces for closer monitoring. Here is a link to an important reference study to answer the question about germ transfer from hard surfaces to clean hands. Quantification and Variability Analysis of Bacterial Cross-Contamination Rates in Common Food Service Tasks.

ATP offers an additional advantage in evaluating cleaning methods and in establishing task frequencies.

Easy and rapid read-out results also provide a valuable, high impact feedback when training the food worker. Corrective actions can be taken immediately. The readings allow food workers to see the importance of surface cleaning procedures, the ease with which soil is transfered and the need for frequent handwashing. They can experience and internalize the reality of cross-contamination.

This technology is also useful to optimize glove changing and to demonstrate to the food handler why gloves must be changed frequently.

Best Practice. Build ATP testing into your periodic Quality Assurance protocols. Use this data to help bring hand hygiene into the realm of HACCP.

Assessment of ATP Monitoring in Foodservice.

What is ATP bioluminescence? Where does it fit in restaurants? This presentation was given by Dr. Paul Allwood at the 2007 meeting of NEHA in Atlantic City, New Jersey. View PPT here or at end of page.

Monitoring Hand-Contamination in Real Time Checklist:

• Select supplier with established food industry credibility.

• Programmable Pass/Fail thresholds are a must.

• Hardware/Reagent system requires accuracy, speed and ease of use.

• A four week shelf life is important for foodservice applications.

• Select supplier that offers easy access to technical service.

• Visit The Dirty Dozen and Personal Touch Programs (under development).

Leadership Companies:

Biotrace provides Food, Beverage and Environmental customers with a range of high quality, innovative products and services that reduce the time to result or provide convenience for environmental monitoring, quality control and quality assurance testing.

By concentrating on innovation, simplicity and speed, Biotrace International is committed to setting new standards of excellence and customer satisfaction.

Visit Biotrace, a 3M Company>