Rapid Hygiene
Monitoring from
Crystaltech

Warewashers are notorious for spreading germs if they are not maintained and cleaned properly. With recent news regarding the serious implications of E.coli poisoning from food consumed at pubs & bars, Crystaltech is able to offer pub, catering and healthcare operators Rapid Hygiene Monitoring of their warewashing equipment.

Glass and tableware should be visually free of residues after the cleaning process. However, visual assessment is only one of the tools to judge if a surface is clean. Traditional testing for microorganisms/bacteria provides more information but this is related more to the effectiveness of disinfection rather than cleaning and results take weeks to be analysed in a laboratory environment.

The new rapid hygiene testing system, used by Crystaltech, delivers on-site results within minutes. The swab test can detect if a warewashing machine is cleaning to the expected standard and is therefore safe to use. The bioluminescence test for adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) has been developed to measure the effectiveness of cleaning as it measures ATP from both microorganisms and from product/surface residues and is therefore a reliable hygiene test.

“Glasswashers and dishwashers can be the main source of cross contamination within the catering environment, if the right combination of chemicals and temperature is not achieved. Impure water can cause cloudiness and polishing of glasses increases germ transfer,” says Derek Maher, Crystaltech.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently advised on new guidelines which no longer specify the need for thermal disinfection on dishwashers, meaning that lower temperatures with the right level of chemicals can wash safely and effectively. Operating at using chlorine based wash chemicals to lower wash temperature can significantly improve the results of glass cleaning and reduced power consumption will contribute to lowering carbon footprints.

If regular cleaning is carried out by the operator then only breakdown servicing is necessary but the site should have the option of dealing with a service company that can achieve a 4hr response if the customer regards it as necessary. Preventative measures that staff can carry out to ensure a clean machine include daily cleaning of the filters and the inside of the cabinet and also ensuring that the chemicals are topped up and are therefore effectively cleaning.