Weetabix

Embracing the Next Generation of Hygiene Verification Technology

Background

Ed Campion is the Hygiene Transformation Project Manager at Weetabix and has over a decade of experience in high-risk and low-risk food manufacturing environments.

His goal was to develop a Hygiene Verification process that delivered consistent results and reduced the risk of false negatives. This process also needed to align with both visual inspections and microbial swab results.

In collaboration with Radek Tameczka from Klipspringer’s Technical Team, Ed led an initial validation study. The results of this study paved the way for Weetabix to transition from ATP-only testing to a new and improved technology: the A3 System.

Weetabix is one of the UK’s most recognisable and trusted food brands, producing high-quality breakfast cereals since 1932.

Best known for its iconic wholegrain biscuit, the company has since expanded its portfolio to include a broad range of cereals – offering different flavours, shapes, and textures.

Weetabix remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality across its product range and operations.

Adopting the A3 System

ATP Tests vs the A3 System

About three years ago, Ed and his team conducted a validation study of the A3 System at Weetabix. Working across eight factories, they compared the system’s performance with traditional ATP-only testing, assessing both thoroughly cleaned areas and areas that had been intentionally left uncleaned. Radek Tameczka from Klipspringer’s in-house Technical Team provided support throughout.

The Results

The findings of this validation study revealed that ATP testing often produced inconsistent results, sometimes passing areas that would fail a visual inspection. In contrast, the A3 System produced reliable readings that closely aligned with both visual inspections and microbiological swab results. When debris or microbial contamination was present, A3 readings were notably elevated; when surfaces were visibly clean and met microbiological standards, readings were close to zero.

Increased Reliability and Confidence

The reliability of the A3 System built up a lot of trust and significantly reduced the need for repeat swabbing, saving time and resources. It also gave management greater confidence in the accuracy of the data and the effectiveness of hygiene practices.

“In certain areas, the A3 System highlighted where teams weren't cleaning effectively. This led us onto a review of how the teams were cleaning and the instructions they were receiving.”

Ed Campion, Hygiene Transformation Project Manager at Weetabix

Why did the ATP-only Tests and A3 System Produce Different Results?

ATP is a high-energy, unstable compound that naturally degrades into AMP and ADP, a process accelerated by conditions like heat, chemical exposure, and environmental stress.

This degradation can cause ATP-only tests to return low readings and misleading “pass” results, even when residues like protein, fat, allergens, or biofilm precursors remain.

The A3 System overcomes this limitation by detecting the full adenylate profile: ATP, AMP, and ADP. This allows it to identify residues that ATP-only tests would miss.

During a recent Klipspringer webinar on Hygiene Verification, hosted in partnership with BRCGS, Ed answered a series of questions about his experience using the A3 System. If you would like to watch the full webinar, click here.

Is the side-by-side case study with Weetabix available?

The data from the Weetabix validation study isn’t publicly available. However, Ed highlights the importance of focusing on research that directly reflects the ingredients and production methods used in your own facilities, as data from other manufacturing sites may not always apply accurately.

He recommends contacting Klipspringer to arrange a loan of the A3 unit so you can conduct an on-site trial. This way, you’ll be able to confirm that the results discussed are consistent within your own environment.

Do you think A3 can replace traditional swabbing?

Ed stressed that the A3 System needs to be used alongside micro swabbing because the ATP, AMP, and ADP detected by the system can come from either food residues or microbes remaining on the surface, but the system cannot distinguish between the two.

The A3 unit serves as an indicator of surface residue and should be used as part of an overall hygiene monitoring plan. Therefore, micro swabbing is still needed to identify the microorganisms present on the swabbed surface. One possible approach could be to carry out periodic micro swabbing while using the A3 unit to verify cleanliness after each clean.

Since implementing the A3 System, what has been the impact on hygiene resources and costs?

Ed explained that the A3 System has helped to identify areas where cleaning performance could be improved. This insight prompted a closer look at how teams were carrying out their cleaning routines and the cleaning instructions they had been given.

As a result, Weetabix updated their cleaning protocols, retrained their teams, and revalidated cleaning processes in areas where unexpected results were observed. Ed notes that these actions have ultimately strengthened the site’s hygiene management program.

Did you find the main benefit to be a reduction in false negatives?

Reducing false negatives was a key priority for Weetabix. Ed explains that when a reading shows zero, there’s a risk that teams might assume an area is completely clean, even though residues could still be present.

However, since introducing the A3 System, the team have been able to pinpoint the areas where cleaning performance isn’t fully effective, make targeted improvements to cleaning methods, and enhance the robustness of the site’s hygiene management processes.

The A3 System

Learn more about the A3 System
Watch the Hygiene Verification Webinar

If you have a question about the A3 System, share your contact details below.