ATP-Bioluminescence Techniques for Assessing the Hygienic Condition of Milk Transport Tankers

The reliability and practicality of ATP-bioluminescence methods were assessed for monitoring milk tanker cleanliness. Two commercially available systems were used to test swabs taken from up to seven sampling points (internal surfaces of manway lid, vessel roof, vessel side wall, vessel end wall, flexible hose and the air elimination vessel) within a total of 465 milk tankers after normal cleaning procedures were completed. The results from the two systems used showed a good correlation when classified for indicating a 'clean' or 'dirty' condition of the surface tested. ATP-bioluminescence was found to be a practically useful and rapid (<10 min) technique for assessing the hygienic status of milk tankers. The use of ATP methods to monitor tanker cleaning efficiency quickly and simply would facilitate a rapid response to hygiene problem solving and potentially contribute positively to the improvement of the quality of ran, milk.