According to the World Health Organisation, “almost 1 in 10 people fall ill from foodborne diseases every year.” Microbiological Testing (also known as Environmental Testing) is helping to change this reality, used by food factories across the globe to identify potential sources of bacterial contamination before an outbreak occurs.
Environmental swabbing, also known as swab testing, is a key part of this process – helping food manufacturers verify cleaning effectiveness and maintain audit-ready hygiene standards.
To ensure your site is part of the solution and maintains compliance in this vital area, we would recommend revisiting the key points surrounding Environmental Testing.
In the following article, we will cover everything from an explanation of Environmental Testing and a closer look at audit expectations to essential advice for your operatives and an introduction to the Klipspringer range of Environmental Swab Tests.
There is useful information in each section, but you can use the links below to jump ahead.
What is Environmental Swabbing (Environmental Testing)?
Within the food production industry, Environmental Testing, also referred to as Environmental Swabbing, involves the microbiological testing of food preparation surfaces and equipment.
By finding out if a target bacteria is present in a sample area, food factories can verify the effectiveness of their on-site cleaning procedures – ensuring their premises are both visually and microbiologically acceptable.
Sites will also use Environmental Tests to identify and then eliminate harmful bacteria before it has opportunity to contaminate their products and ingredients.
Quantitative vs Qualitative Environmental Tests
In the context of Environmental Swabbing, Qualitative Tests confirm the presence or absence of a target organism. At a food production site, the presence of harmful bacteria such as Listeria and E. coli will trigger immediate corrective action, so the exact count of the organism may not be relevant in the first instance.
However, some sites will follow up a positive qualitative test result with an additional Quantitative Test. Quantitative Tests confirm the exact count of bacteria in a sample. This may help to provide an indication of how close or far your site’s cleaning procedures are from being effective.
Qualitative Tests are typically easy to use and easy to understand, often with a simple colour-change result. Many Quantitative Tests are also easy to carry out, but the numerical results will be slightly more complex. Your site will also have to establish control limits in regards to what constitutes a pass or fail result, documenting this in your Environmental Monitoring Programme.
Why Environmental Swabbing Is Important in the Food Industry
Environmental Testing is an invaluable tool for ensuring food safety. It provides food production sites with the opportunity to identify and eliminate contaminants before an outbreak occurs.
What’s more, it supports the validation and verification of cleaning procedures, helping sites to strive for continuous improvement at every turn.
Compliance in this area is not only an essential part of running a safe and successful factory, it is also an essential part of protecting consumers from serious illness and even fatality.
Below are six key reasons to prioritise Environmental Testing at your site:
- Harmful bacteria can result in illness and even fatality, especially amongst vulnerable groups.
- An outbreak could also pose a risk to the operatives working at your food factory.
- An outbreak can seriously damage the reputation of your factory and even lead to closure.
- Any contaminated products or ingredients will need to be destroyed at huge expense to your site.
- Failing to have an effective Environmental Testing program in place could result in a failed audit.
- Environmental Swabbing allows you to act before an outbreak – saving time, money, and lives!
BRCGS Guidance for Environmental Swabbing and Testing
BRCGS has a dedicated guide on Effective Environmental Monitoring in the food production industry.
Issue 9 of the BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard also features an Environmental Monitoring section, with Clause 4.11.8 asking that: “Risk-based environmental monitoring programmes shall be in place for the relevant pathogens or spoilage organisms. At a minimum, these shall include all production areas with open and/or ready-to-eat products.”
Clause 4.11.8.1 then outlines what should be covered by the programme. Examples include your sampling procedures, testing methods, your process for identifying sample locations, and the frequency of your testing.
Clause 4.11.8.2 provides guidance on control limits. It also highlights the importance of documenting the corrective action that is taken “when monitored results indicate a failure to meet a control limit, or when monitored results indicate an upward trend of positive results.”
Finally, Clause 4.11.8.3 outlines how often your site should be reviewing its environmental monitoring programme. The expectation is that this should take place at least once a year, but should also be actioned whenever there are changes to your processes, new scientific developments, failures in your current programme, or failures relating to your final products.
BRCGS also recommends reviewing your environmental monitoring programme if you receive a long and consistent stream of negative results, as although this could reflect the cleanliness of your site, you will need to prove its not due to any other factors e.g. the wrong tests are being used, the wrong areas are being tested, or the tests are being carried out incorrectly.
Key Points for Carrying Out Environmental Swab Testing at Your Site
Surface Preparation
The sample area should be dry, flat and smooth. It should also be cleaned and disinfected in line with normal hygiene practices. For example, after hygiene has been completed. Just remember that some sanitisers can interfere with environmental testing, so it’s important that you wait until after the specified contact time has elapsed to carry out the test.
Surface Area
Sample areas are typically 100cm² or 200cm². However, when testing for uncommon human pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, many factories will increase the size to 1000cm². There is no set rule, but it is worth noting the Food Standards Agency recommends a sample area of no less than 20cm².
Protective Gloves
When it comes to collecting a test sample, it is essential that you are wearing protective gloves. Your gloved hands should then be disinfected with an alcohol wipe or spray. Failing to take these steps could result in bacteria from your skin contaminating the sample and increasing the bacterial count.
Sample Labelling
The sample tubes inside your kit have labels where you can write key information, such as the date of the test, a description of what was sampled, and the size of the sample area. The sample area size is important, as an external testing laboratory will need to know this information if they share their results in cfu or cm².
Klipspringer Environmental Swab Tests
As the leading food safety compliance partner for sites across the UK and Ireland, we felt a responsibility to provide support in such an integral area. That is why, working with a UK manufacturer, we have launched the Klipspringer range of Environmental Swab Tests.
As with all our products and solutions, our goal is to resolve common industry challenges to ensure our kits enhance your experience of Environmental Swabbing. You will find the four main benefits of our Environmental Swab Tests listed below:
Organisms remain viable for further testing
Unlike many other Environmental Swab Tests, our kits ensure your samples are viable for further testing and, in the case of a positive result, can be sent directly to external laboratories. This will save on the time and cost of ordering a second test or arranging for an external company to visit your site.
Detect even low levels of a target organism
Our Environmental Swab Tests generate results at a competitive rate, with early indicators appearing after just 8 hours. The results of the test are confirmed after 24 hours. However, unlike many other swab kits, our tests are still highly accurate at 48 hours – able to detect incredibly low levels of the target bacteria.
Self-contained, easy-to-use, with highly visible results
Klipspringer Environmental Swab Tests are self-contained, as the only additional equipment required is an incubator. The actual swabbing process can be carried out by operatives of all skill levels and the distinct colour-change results are easy to understand – qualitative rather than quantitative.
Easy storage and long lifespan
Resolving another common industry challenge, our Environmental Swab Kits don’t need to be refrigerated. This should be a significant time-saver, as you won’t have to bring them up to room temperature before every use. Instead, the kits can be stored between 5-25°C and have a lifespan of at least 12 months.
What Environmental Swab Tests are included in the Klipspringer range?
Currently, our range of Environmental Swab Tests supports the detection of Listeria and E.coli. However, we are working with food production sites across the UK and Ireland to identify other areas where we could be providing support.
If your site requires an Environmental Test that is not already included in the Klipspringer range, our in-house Technical Team is available to discuss this further. You can contact them on 01473461800 or sales@klipspringer.com.
Environmental Swab Test: Listeria
Listeria (specifically Listeria monocytogenes) is fast becoming the most important pathogen in the food industry. Listeria infections can lead to fatal health consequences, especially for vulnerable groups such as infants, children, and the elderly. They can also pose serious risks during pregnancy.
Listeria is commonly found in unpasteurised dairy products and ready-to-eat items. It can also grow at refrigerated temperatures when given enough time.
Unsurprisingly, regulatory bodies across the globe insist all food products are Listeria-free.
To help your site achieve this goal, we have launched an Environmental Test for Listeria. This test relies on an enhanced Esculin medium. If the hydrolysis of Esculin by Listeria occurs, the straw-coloured test solution changes to a black precipitate.
The swab tip for this test is composed of Calcium Alginate which means the tip will dissolve when fully immersed in the medium – ensuring all collected organisms are tested.
Environmental Swab Test: E.coli
E.coli (Escherichia coli) and Coliforms are commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals. Because of this, they are often used as indicator organisms for faecal contamination.
Detection of these organisms usually points to poor hygiene or a contaminated water source.
Although some strains of E.coli are harmless, others can cause serious food poisoning. Again, this can have serious consequences for vulnerable groups.
To support your site with the detection of E.coli and Coliforms, we supply a simple Isolation Swab Test.
If the target organisms are present, the test solution will display a definite colour change from purple to yellow. Your team will then know to take corrective action.
Frequently Asked Questions
So that brings us to the end of our overview of Environmental Testing in the food production industry. We hope this article has answered any questions you had surrounding this subject and highlighted the unique benefits offered by the Klipspringer range of Environmental Swab Tests.
If you would like to learn more about any of the guidance or solutions we have mentioned in this article, our in-house Technical Team would be happy to hear from you.
You can contact them on 01473461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can share your details via the form below and one of our specialists will be in touch.
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