Adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence for hygiene monitoring in health care institutions

: An investigation was conducted to assess the practical use of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay to evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing meat slicers in eight health care institutions. The ATP bioluminescence assay was compared to conventional swabbing techniques using standard plate count to enumerate microbial load. Assays were performed on meat slicers before use, after slicing a meat product and after sanitizing. There was a general overall agreement in results obtained by both methods but the ATP assay gave a better indication of the cleanliness of the meat slicer as it was able to detect the presence of meat residues left on the blade after improper sanitation. Results were available within 5 min using the ATP bioluminescence method, thus providing an opportunity for immediate remedial action.