Marugame Seimen Case Study: A3 Hygiene Monitoring System

Japanese Restaurant Brand - Marugame Seimen

Using the A3 system to drive standards of hygiene and employee engagement.

Background

Hygiene Education

Marugame Seimen employs nearly 20,000 part-time workers. This presents a substantial challenge when it comes to the company educating its staff in regards to the importance of effective hygiene and food safety management.

A Serious Food Safety Incident

In 2016, Marugame Seimen faced a food safety incident after customers who ate its ‘Beef Torotama Bukkake Udon’ reported food poisoning.

An investigation found Staphylococcus aureus and enterotoxins A and B on washed stainless-steel cans and ladles. Marugame Seimen sought to understand the cause and prevent future occurrences.

Marugame Seimen is a restaurant brand that specialises in freshly prepared Sanuki Udon (Japanese noodles). The brand is famous for introducing a sense of live performance to its process, with noodles prepared using flour, salt, and water directly in front of the restaurant’s patrons.

Marugame Seimen serves approximately 150 million customers per year, selling approximately 160 million portions of Udon. It is one of many brands owned by TORIDOLL Holdings Corporation, a global restaurant chain encompassing 528 stores across 10 countries, with 1,012 in Japan itself (as of March 2018).

The Solution

An advancement over standard ATP testing, the A3 system uses patented technology to detect not only ATP, but also the molecules it degrades to (ADP and AMP) during common processes like heating and cleaning.

The A3 system is sensitive enough to detect all forms of organic residue, identifying contamination that traditional ATP test might miss. It is a popular choice for industries that handle meat, fish, and processed foods.

At Marugame Seimen, the A3 system played a key role in supporting the company’s auditing process by helping inspectors evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning procedures. What’s more, it made hygiene data easy to understand – educating employees and reinforcing the importance of high standards.

A3 testing was also conducted twice a year by external auditors, typically checking equipment such as chopping boards, knives, and machinery. Additionally, many sites will use the system to check the effectiveness of their dishwashers.

How did the A3 system benefit Marugame Seimen?

Managing a Complex Workforce

Marugame Seimen relies heavily on part-time staff, with only a few full-time employees present per shift. In such environments, it’s crucial to avoid relying solely on verbal instructions, store traditions, or individual experience.

The Solution?

To ensure consistency, Marugame Seimen has adopted an evidence-based approach. Rather than assuming staff are not only aware of, but also fully understand the relevant guidelines, the company systematically documents and quantifies its food safety practices. Marugame Seimen uses the A3 system to transform key data into accessible graphs – empowering its workforce to identify and resolve food safety challenges.

Recovering from a Serious Food Safety Incident

As mentioned, in 2016 Marugame Seimen experienced a food safety incident involving its ‘Beef Torotama Bukkake Udon’. In response, the company revised its food preparation process – adjusting cooking times, as well as storage durations and temperatures.

The presence of Staphylococcus aureus also prompted a reassessment of cleaning practices, since proper sanitation would have prevented contamination. To address this, all Marugame Seimen locations now undergo biannual external hygiene audits.

These audits include a visual inspection, microbial testing, and an A3 swab test. Mr. Atsushi Kusano, Executive Director/CFSO of TORIDOLL Holdings Corporation, described the A3 system as “especially effective” for visualising “work results and safety,” noting its positive impact on both hygiene standards and staff awareness.