Setting Guidelines for ATP Bioluminescence Hygiene Monitoring of Distribution Trays in Used Children’s Foodservices

ABSTRACT

ne monitoring of distribution trays at children’s foodservices. Five dietitians visited 223 foodservices (95 institutional, 128 small) to examine whether they adhered to the norms of ‘Keeping distribution tray sanitary by washing/sanitizing’ and ‘Performing food distribution in a clean and appropriate way’. In this visit, dietitians swabbed 100 ㎠ area of the distribution trays twice, once for obtaining ATP measurements and the second time for Aerobic Plate Counts (APC) using 3M Petrifilm Plates. Chi-square test and ANOVA were applied using SPSS 23.0 software. SPSS 23.0 was used to conduct graphical and statistical analysis of the raw data of ATP measurements, which were further transformed by a Box-Cox transformation. The mean of APC from all the subjects inspected was 3.8×102 ±2,102.0 CFU/100 ㎠ . A total of 208 (93.3%) trays were observed within the acceptable limits of APC (Pass＜5.0×102 CFU/100 ㎠ ). APCs taken at institutional foodservices showed significantly lower levels (1.4×102 ±600.0 CFU/100 ㎠, P＜0.01) compared to the small foodservices (5.5×102 ±2,718.7 CFU/100 ㎠ ). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in ATP measurements and in the performance rate of 2 checklist items. As against the 93.3% APC adequacy from the total subjected inspection, total ATP adequacy (Pass≤300 RLU/100 ㎠ ) was only 71.7%. Therefore, more practical guidelines should be prepared for the assessment of the hygiene of distribution trays. In the graphical and statistical analysis, levels below 250 RLU/100 ㎠ was considered ‘Pass’, while equal to or greater than 350 RLU/100 ㎠ was considered ‘Fail’ for distribution trays.