The SwabCheck principle
The surface is wiped with a cellulose swab and any bacteria collected are transferred via the swab into a tube containing a special medium with an indicator dye, which is then incubated. A single bacterium is sufficient to cause a color change. This means that SwabCheck is about 1000 times more sensitive than the conventional ATP method. This accuracy is particularly important in the food industry. With this simple method, it is possible to identify microorganisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, which must not be present in any concentration in food and beverages.

• The right test for each type of contamination
• Qualitative and semi-quantitative hygiene control
• Sterile packed and ready-for-use
• Easy to handle
• Rapid results
• Long shelf-life

SwabCheck use
Handling is easy. Open the sterile pack, remove the swab and wipe it over an area of about 10 x 10 cm. Then twist off the cap of the medium tube and insert the swab so that the cap fits tightly. Label the sample tube and incubate at the appropriate temperature.

A change in color indicates the presence of the microorganism in question. The quicker the color change occurs, the higher the bioburden. If no color change has been observed after the maximum incubation period has elapsed, then the corresponding microorganism is not present. Whatman offers SwabCheck in packs of 25 pieces. Shelf-life of 12 months.

Total Count Swab Kit

Neutralizing Buffer Swabs
Neutralizing buffer swabs are used in the monitoring of surfaces for total bacterial count. Neutralizing buffer inactivates the bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of chlorine and quaternary ammonium detergents.However, neutralizing buffer exhibits no toxic effects on microorganisms. This permits the transfer of swabbed organisms to the laboratory without loss in viability. Neutralizing buffer is not designed to culture and enumerate microorganisms.

Buffer Swabs
Used for the collection of surface contamination from flat or convoluted surfaces prior to transport to a laboratory for culture and enumeration. Buffer swabs contain no bacteriostatic or bactericidal compounds and cannot suppress the action of detergents.

SwabCheck
Used as an indication of hygiene on contact surfaces. SwabCheck changes color from purple to yellow. The color change is based on acid reaction with the indicator. The more rapid the color change, the higher the level of bacteria in the sample. SwabCheck is useful in determining the sanitation levels of preparation surfaces, filling ports, and processing areas in beverage and food processing plants, dairies, restaurants, and healthcare facilities.

Coliform SwabCheck

Coliform SwabCheck
Escherichia coli and coliforms are used traditionally as indicator organisms for fecal contamination in water and other environmental samples. Detection of these organisms usually points to poor hygiene at some stage in the production process or pollution of water at source. The presence of coliforms is indicated by a color change from red to yellow. The more rapid the color change the higher the level of coliform bacteria.

Hygiene SwabCheck

Hygiene SwabCheck
Easy to use: The Hygiene SwabCheck shows an obvious color change from red to yellow. The time taken for this change is an indication of the level of contamination. This should be used in conjunction with known specification levels of your process/product. Rapid screening hygiene test is a same day test that will detect gross bacterial and fungal contamination of work surfaces, equipment machinery or other sampling sites.

Listeria SwabCheck

Listeria SwabCheck
Listeria Isolation SwabCheck is designed to be used alongside traditional selective methods to improve the quality system and minimize the risk of Listeria contamination. This simple to use diagnostic test can be applied anywhere in the environment and on foodstuffs where the presence of Listeria species would be critical. Listeria sp and specifically Listeria monocytogenes are rapidly becoming the most important pathogen in the food industry; regulatory bodies from around the world are insisting that all food products are Listeria free. Listeria Isolation SwabCheck works on an enhanced Esculin media formulation. The hydrolysis of esculin gives a distinctive black/brown precipitate. Inhibitors and antibiotics are present in the media, which will inhibit the growth of non-Listeria species.

SwabCheck Escherichia coli
Used for the detection of Escherichia coli on surfaces. The presence of fluorescence using a longwave UV light source confirms the presence of Escherichia coli and any further confirmation is not required. MUG detects anaerogenic strain that may not be detected in the conventional procedure. Lactose is a source of energy. Casein peptone provides additional nutrients. The mixture of bile salts is inhibiting for gram-positive bacteria, particularly bacilli and fecal streptococci. The substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-glucuronide is hydrolyzed by an enzyme, b-glucuronidase, possessed by most Escherichia coli and a few strains of Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia, to produce a fluorescent end product, 4-methylumbelliferone. The presence of Escherichia coli is detected by the appearance of fluorescence throughout the tube.

Total Count Swab Kit
Used for the non-selective development and enumeration of all aerobic bacteria on surfaces in accordance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). The kit includes the swabs and culture medium, packaged with a membrane device, providing a quantitative result. All bacteria develop on TGE media and produce a range of different colored and sized colonies. It is not possible using TGE to presumptively identify any bacteria. Identification can only be undertaken using traditional microbiology techniques following initial colony development.

Yeast and Mold Swab Kit

Yeast and Mold Swab Kit
Used for the enumeration of yeast and molds on surfaces in accordance with HACCP. The kit includes the swabs and culture medium, packaged with a membrane device, providing a quantitative result. M-Green yeast and mold is an improved modification of the liquid medium, and was developed to improve efficiency of detection and enumeration of fungi in sugar based drinks using the membrane filtration method. This medium has a low pH, which inhibits bacterial growth. The addition of bromocresol green, which diffuses into fungal colonies as an alkaline reaction, allows them to be easily identified. Metabolic by-products from the developing colonies diffuse into the surrounding medium, further reducing the pH that aids in the inhibition of bacterial growth, but also produces an acid reaction that causes residual bromocresol green to change to yellow. Green opaque colonies against a yellow background are indicative of the growth of yeasts. Mold colonies are green and filamentous.

Polywipe Sponge

Polywipe Sponge
Used for the recovery of microorganisms from a surface. Polywipe is a blue sponge that is premoistened with neutralizing buffer to neutralize the effects of surface disinfectants. The sponge material is selected to be free of the preservatives found in commercially available sponges, which can inhibit microorganism growth. Polywipe sponges are biocide free and tested for zero toxicity to microorganisms. Each sponge is individually wrapped in a peel pouch and gamma irradiated to ensure sterility.