Fast and Easy Allergen Testing: Meet the LuciPac A3 Surface Test Kit

In today’s highly regulated food industry, controlling allergens is not only a compliance requirement but also a moral obligation to protect consumers. For meat and poultry processors, where cross-contamination risks are high, effective cleaning verification is critical. A recent case study presented by Kikkoman Corporation sheds light on how ATP testing using the LuciPac A3 Test can play a pivotal role in maintaining allergen control and ensuring food safety.

Why Allergen Control Matters

The FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) reported 95 food recalls in 2024 alone. Among these, 54 recalls (57%) were due to undeclared allergens. Such incidents not only endanger public health but can also severely damage a company’s brand and lead to detrimental financial losses. Allergen cross-contamination frequently arises from shared equipment and surfaces that haven’t been adequately cleaned between processing different types of meat.

Given that meat-derived allergens are typically proteins, effective cleaning is essential. However, traditional detection methods like ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays), while highly specific, are time-consuming, costly, and typically allergen-specific. This is where ATP testing steps in as a versatile and efficient solution.

Introducing the LuciPac A3 Surface Test Kit

The LuciPac A3 Surface Test Kit offers a smart alternative. It is an ATP hygiene monitoring system that measures adenosine triphosphate (ATP), along with ADP and AMP. Many standard kits only measure ATP, which may degrade under heat or chemical exposure. LuciPac A3’s ability to detect ATP + ADP + AMP increases sensitivity and makes it highly effective in assessing whether surfaces have been properly cleaned—an essential step in allergen control.

The test kit includes swabs pre-filled with a reagent that triggers a luminescent reaction when in contact with ATP, ADP, or AMP. This reaction is read by the Lumitester Smart, a handheld device that quantifies the light signal as Relative Light Units (RLU). Readings are delivered in just 10 seconds, allowing for rapid on-site decision-making.

Validating ATP Testing for Allergen Control

ATP testing does not detect allergens directly. However, they are reliable in indicating the presence of residual proteins, serving as an effective surrogate for assessing cleaning efficacy. To prove this, a validation study using the LuciPac A3 Test was conducted to determine whether an ATP threshold could reliably indicate the removal of allergenic meat proteins. The findings confirmed a strong correlation between ATP readings and the presence of residual protein from chicken, pork, and beef.