Tackling Today’s Food Pathogen Challenges with Smarter Sampling Solutions
Food safety remains a critical concern for manufacturers and regulators worldwide. With increasing pressure to maintain hygienic standards, the food industry is seeing a rise in awareness around microbial risks, particularly from pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli. These microorganisms can thrive in environments where traditional cleaning and monitoring methods may fall short, especially when hidden in hard-to-reach places or protected by biofilms.
The challenge isn’t just killing pathogens, it’s finding them.
In modern production environments, identifying contamination requires sampling tools that are easy to use, reliable under pressure, and designed for the realities of today’s complex facilities. That’s where innovative environmental monitoring tools come in, like our newly expanded POLYWIPE™ Range, now available in an Easy Open Bag, which can be used as a glove and stomacher bag.
This latest addition to the POLYWIPE™ range offers a pre-moistened blue sponge swab inside an easy-open stomacher bag, designed to streamline the sampling process while reducing the risk of contamination during transfer. It’s available with buffer options such as NRS II™ (Neutralising Rinse Solution) and saline, making it adaptable to different food environments.
NRS II™ plays a critical role in ensuring accurate sampling. In many cases, residual cleaning agents can neutralise or destroy microbes before they are cultured in the lab, leading to misleadingly "clean" results. NRS II™ neutralises these residuals, helping you recover true microbial loads—even in heavily sanitised zones. It also penetrates those difficult and irregular surfaces where bacteria can linger, making it an essential tool in any robust hygiene monitoring protocol.
While POLYWIPE™ is ideal for large surface areas and processing zones, STERISWAB™ is your go-to solution for precise point sampling. This swab offers a sterile, easy-to-handle format perfect for routine environmental surveillance and targeted investigations. Whether monitoring machinery touchpoints, conveyor belts, or high-risk contact surfaces, STERISWAB™ delivers confidence in your sampling outcomes.
As regulation tightens, accurate testing becomes even more critical. From July 1, 2026, new EU legislation will require food businesses to take greater responsibility for Listeria monocytogenes across the entire supply chain. Stricter microbiological criteria will apply, particularly to ready-to-eat foods. If manufacturers cannot prove that Listeria levels remain below 100 cfu/g for the duration of a product’s shelf life, they must meet a stricter “absence in 25g” rule throughout. These new rules place even greater emphasis on precise, reliable sampling methods.
As food manufacturing standards evolve, we’re not stopping here. We’re currently developing a new generation of swabs and liquid transport media designed to enhance pathogen detection through improved sample collection and targeted culturing. These swabs will support even greater accuracy in detecting pathogens, providing faster, clearer answers when they matter most.
Every product we offer is built around a central mission: helping food manufacturers uphold the highest safety standards while making sampling easier, faster, and more effective. In the battle against foodborne illness, smarter tools make a measurable difference.
With the introduction of the POLYWIPE™ Easy Open Bag, the powerful utility of NRS II™, the precision of STERISWAB™, and new innovations on the horizon, we’re giving you everything you need to detect threats before they reach consumers.
Upgrade your toolkit with smarter sampling solutions and contact us today.
