3M Food Safety today announced the results of a new scientific study conducted by the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales, U.K. comparing the performance of nine ATP hygiene monitoring systems. The research concluded the 3M Clean-Trace Hygiene Monitoring and Management System was the only system to provide stable and consistent results across time and temperature.

Each system tests for the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an indicator molecule for biological residue that can be found after cleaning and provides an overall measure of cleanliness in production environments. To test the stability of results produced by each system, a known amount of ATP was applied on the swab and read repeatedly over two minutes. The researchers analyzed how the results varied over time, with tests conducted at 10°C, 20°C and 35°C.

The study of stability and consistency determined that all ATP systems do not provide the same quality of results, determining only the 3M Clean-Trace Hygiene Monitoring System produced acceptable results at all times and temperatures.

Hygiene monitoring and management is a core element of any food and beverage processors’ environmental monitoring program, as it’s the key to evaluating and optimizing one of their most important manufacturing processes: cleaning and sanitation. Therefore, it is critical for an ATP hygiene monitoring system to provide stable and consistent results over time and at different temperatures to meet demands of food manufacturing environments.

“In food production, starting the manufacturing process is a high-risk decision placing the health of your business and consumers at stake,” says Tom Dewey, 3M Food Safety global marketing manager. “A reliable ATP monitoring system that provides stable and consistent results allows you to proactively manage risk in your operation and feel comfortable making the decision to go-ahead with production.”

As a worldwide leader of innovative solutions, 3M Food Safety commissioned the research to help the food and beverage industries optimize the quality and safety of their products and to support consumer protection.

Additional information on the study, including results and analysis, can be downloaded at 3M.com/CompareATP. For more information about the 3M Clean-Trace Hygiene Monitoring and Management System, visit 3M.com/foodsafety/Clean-Trace.