Rapid Hygiene Monitoring System

"Rapid Hygiene Monitoring" refers to testing employees' hands or food processing equipment and facilities to ensure that adequate cleanliness of contaminating is being maintained. These tests are extremely important in preventing cross-contamination, incidents which allegedly said to account for 60% of accidents in food manufacturing in japan. Kikkoman's Rapid Hygiene Monitoring Systems use the ATP + AMP swab test method. The test area is wiped using the reagent kit LuciPac, which combines a reagent and self-contained swab device, after which light is emitted as a result of chemical reaction between luciferase-luciferin-PPDK reagent and ATP + AMP. The level of luminescence is measured using the LUMITESTER measuring instrument, and the degree of cleanliness is determined based on the amount of ATP and AMP detected. The degree of contamination is immediately shown as a numerical output, enabling a process of "check and take action" that is not possible using traditional culture methods, and thus allow accidents to be prevented before they occur.

LuciPac

LuciPacPen and LuciPac W areis thea kits that combine reagents with the swabs required for ATP + AMP swab tests (for picking up ATP + AMP from the test area). Take the swab from the kit and wipe the object to be tested, and then returns the swab to the LuciPac unit-the operation is completed with the push-in the swab and mix with the reagent. The LUMITESTER provides an immediate numerical indication of the target object's degree of cleanliness.

LuciPac Pen (for Lumitester PD-20)

LuciPac W （for Lumitester PD-10/PD-10N）

LUMITESTER / Measuring Instrument

The LUMITESTER measures the level of luminescence based on a biochemical reaction between ATP and Luciferase. The "luminescent analysis" used here enables measurement at a higher level of sensitivity than most analysis methods, and for this reason, a "luminometer" is required to pick up very feint light emissions. Conventional luminometers, however, are large, heavy, and expensive, and thus are generally not suited to food safety and environmental hygiene monitoring applications. Kikkoman has successfully broken through this barrier with the LUMITESTER PD-20 small, lightweight, low-cost luminometer.

LUMITESTER PD-20

The LUMITESTER PD-20 was specially designed for rapid hygiene monitoring applications, with particular attention to low cost and ease of operation. The compact unit can be carried in one hand; it weighs less than half of the C-110, and is available for less than 20% of the cost of its larger counterpart. By using the LUMITESTER PD-20 in combination with specialized reagent, LuciPac Pen, anyone can conduct ATP + AMP swab tests anywhere, anytime.

Utility Software for Lumitester PD-20

Lumitester Control Software (Ver. 1.01)
　　　64 bit Windows compatible version

Lumitester Control Software 2 (Ver. 2.01)
　　　Control Software 2 includes the basic functions of the Control
　　　Software supplied with the PD-20 when it is purchased and some additional functions.

Principles behind the ATP + AMP swab test

ATP =
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a chemical substance that acts as an energy source for all living organisms on the planet. AMP (adenosine monophosphate) is derived from ATP during the processing, such as heat treatment and fermentation. The presence of ATP or AMP can be considered proof of the presence of a living organism, or of a substance produced by a living organism. Fireflies generate light by creating a reaction inside their bodies between their own ATP and an enzyme called Luciferase. Kikkoman has also created a method using the ATP regeneration enzyme PPDK to measure both ATP and/or AMP as part of the ATP cycle. This method provides enhanced sensitivity.

In the case of Rapid Hygiene Monitoring Systems, if an object to be tested is contaminated by bacteria or food residue (both organic materials), then the presence of ATP + AMP will act as a foolproof indicator for such contamination. In the ATP + AMP swab test, the degree of contamination can be confirmed by wiping up the ATP + AMP left on the test object and measuring the light emission generated through a reaction with Luciferase using the "firefly principle"and added ATP cycle mentioned above. The LuciPac Pen/W kits contain original Luciferase and PPDK, developed by Kikkoman, which react with ATP and AMP on the object to be tested to generate light; the level of luminescence can then be measured easily.