This guide explores the potential of the A3 system for use within the Hospitality Industry. Could this be the future of your site's approach to Hygiene Monitoring?
As an established approach to Hygiene Monitoring within the food production industry, the A3 system is now being picked up by a growing number of hospitality sites.
In this article we hope to provide an explanation of why this shift is occurring – helping you to better understand the role that the A3 Hygiene Monitoring system could play in your operation. From cleaning validation and staff training to assessing your equipment and supporting your allergen control program, there are a number of areas to explore.
This guide will address the following questions and you can use the links below to skip to the section most relevant to your site. However, it is worth noting that there is useful information, along with helpful video demonstrations throughout.
How much are you not seeing?
During your time in the industry, you may have heard about or even used ATP tests to check the effectiveness of the cleans at your site. ATP tests have long been a popular choice for Hygiene Monitoring because ATP is a molecule found in all living cells. Although this is true, there is a common misconception that testing a surface for ATP is the equivalent of testing a surface for organic residue.
ATP is an unstable molecule that degrades to AMP and ADP during processes such as heating and cleaning. When this happens, tests that only pick up on ATP will detect low levels of ATP and will end up passing surfaces that still need to be cleaned.
This is why the A3 system was launched in 2017.
A simple swab test, the A3 system converts ADP and AMP back to ATP, so that it can detect all of the organic residue on a surface. Put simply, unlike other Hygiene Monitoring tests, the A3 system provides an accurate picture of just how clean a surface is – helping you to decide whether or not the cleaning processes, chemicals, and equipment at your site are working as they should be. A clear picture of the cleanliness levels at your hospitality site will help you to drive hygiene standards, better train your team, impress auditors, eliminate ineffective practices, and strengthen your approach to allergen control.
The video below demonstrates just how different the results produced by an A3 system are to the results generated by standard ATP tests. As you will see, the standard ATP tests pass a surface that is contaminated with food. In contrast, the A3 system reveals just how dirty the surface is. It’s important to note that the test below is for Peanut Butter, a substance that, if used in your kitchens, would need to be factored into your allergen control program.
So, can the A3 Hygiene Monitoring system support allergen management?
With the FSA (Food Standards Agency) lending its support to Owen’s Law – legislation that would make it mandatory for restaurants to publish allergy information on menus – the hospitality industry is under a growing pressure to enforce the effective management of allergens.
As a result, an influx of businesses are evaluating their allergen control measures and embracing opportunities for improvement.
As a system that can NOT be used for the direct detection of allergens, you may be surprised to learn that the A3 system is being incorporated into allergen managements programs across the industry. The reason for this is simple. As we covered in the section above, the A3 system detects all organic residue, even if the surface/equipment being tested has been exposed to extreme heat or cleaning chemicals.
Because of this, if the surface/equipment fails the A3 test, your team will know that it is in need of further cleaning before carrying out a more costly and time consuming allergen test.
Alternatively, if the surface/equipment passes an A3 test, the likelihood of it passing an allergen test increases dramatically.
To explain this further, let’s use the example of a work surface that has been contaminated with peanuts. Although the A3 test couldn’t tell you if the organic residue on the surface is from peanuts, as opposed to any other food item, it can tell you that a residue is present. Then, once the surface has been thoroughly cleaned, the system can tell you how much residue (if any) remains.
Here at Klipspringer, we also supply a range of Rapid Allergen Test Kits that could be used in tandem with the A3 system.
How easy is it to use the A3 system?
A handheld, lightweight device that generates results in 10 seconds, the A3 system has been designed with the user-experience in mind. Instead of asking your team to navigate a complex menu or carry out a convoluted process, all they have to do is turn the device on, swab the relevant surface/equipment, push the swab inside the device, close the top and press a button.
Below is a video that illustrates just how easy it is to use the A3 system. In this video a dry surface swab is being used, run under a tap for a couple of seconds to make it moist. Also available are water swabs and pre-moistened swabs.
How do I achieve an effective roll out of the A3 system?
As with the introduction of any new equipment to your hospitality site(s), you want to be sure of a successful roll out. From securing the support of your team and the approval of your auditors to extending the lifespan of the equipment and making sure it is being used correctly, there are a lot of important factors to consider.
If you would like a better understanding of how the roll out would work, we would recommend starting with the following two questions:
Which aspects of my operation can the A3 system help with?
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of effective Hygiene Monitoring within the food industry, so it’s hard to think of any area of your operation that wouldn’t benefit from a clearer picture in regards to cleanliness, hygiene, and the risk of cross-contamination.
Introducing the A3 system to your site could help you to:
- Find out if the different cleaning procedures at your site are really working. The ability to ‘see more’ could help you to eliminate overly-complex processes, the over-use of expensive cleaning chemicals, and time wasted on ineffective procedures.
- Find out if the cleaning equipment at your site (e.g. industrial dishwashers) are effective.
- Have total confidence in the cleanliness of your kitchens before food preparation.
- Impress auditors and customers with your commitment to hygiene and food safety.
- Enhance your allergen management with a system that sees all organic residue.
What support can Klipspringer provide?
Working with a team of microbiologists, Klipspringer’s in-house Technical Support Team will guide you through the process of validating the cleans at your site – helping you to find out if your current approach to cleaning is truly effective. From chopping boards to kitchen knives, they will identify the best Test Points and will recommend Referential Benchmarks (the pass/fail values for the surfaces/equipment you are testing).
As for the results of your A3 tests, they will be stored on the Lumitester App – easy-to-use software that allows you to store, evaluate, and share data between different sites. Through this software, you can automatically turn any data into graphs. This will help you to track trends and prepare for upcoming audits.
Klipspringer’s Technical Team will help with this too, offering support as you put your results to good use. Whether that’s enhancing your cleans, running a training session for your team, or re-evaluating the frequency of your allergen tests, you will have ongoing access to expert advice.
In terms of calibration, the recommended time period for the A3 system is one year and this is something that can be handled at the Klipspringer Laboratory. The process typically takes 2-3 days and we can supply your operation with a loan unit during this period.
So that brings us to the end of our guide to the A3 system and its potential within the Hospitality Industry. As you evaluate your site’s current approach to Hygiene Monitoring and consider the possible benefits of introducing A3 technology to your site(s), the Klipspringer team would be happy to provide support. You can contact us on 01473 461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can use the form below to arrange a free consultation.
If you would like further guidance relating to the advice shared in this article, the Klipspringer team would be happy to help. Share your details below to arrange a free consultation.
Shadow Boards & Equipment Storage
Visual Management
Hygiene & Production Equipment
Food Handling & Storage Containers
Instrumentation and Monitoring
Calibration & Service
Segregation & Washdown Covers
Detectable Equipment
Specialist PPE
Stainless Steel Equipment
Hygiene Squeegees
Vacuum Cleaners
Food Manufacturing
Food Storage, Distribution & Retail
Auditors & Food Safety Inspectors
Food Service & Hospitality