AllerGiene Validation in Wet Cleaning to Reduce Risk of Food Cross Contact

Robert Salter

Charm Sciences, Inc., Lawrence, MA USA

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is present in all biologic materials and is detected in 30 seconds by the firefly enzyme. Conventional ATP detection systems are commonly used by the food industry to verify cleaning, but they lack the sensitivity to detect foods to the part per million levels (ppm) that are detected by allergenic protein specific ELISA methods.

AllerGiene is a highly sensitive ATP detection test manufactured by Charm Sciences that detects a variety of foods to ppm levels. While ATP lacks specificity to allergens, AllerGiene sensitivity may be employed as a cleaning indicator tool to cross contact concern levels when process equipment is wet cleaned. This cleaning process validation consists of evaluating specific foods in solution and dried on surfaces with AllerGiene and with protein ELISA tests to show comparable sensitivity.

Data are presented that demonstrates AllerGiene food detection in comparison to protein specific ELISA food detection for milk, peanuts, almonds and eggs from solution and surfaces. This data are generated by a variety of laboratories and food packaging plants.

Integrating the rapid test result of the AllerGiene ATP into cross contact cleaning validation significantly improves the cost, efficiency and time of cleaning verification between food products containing allergens.