Biotrace

ATP Based Hygiene Monitoring                                        Protein Based  Hygiene Testing Systems

Bacterial Dipslides and Incubators                                          Other ATP Bioluminescence Systems

Bio-Defence ATP Monitoring Systems                                                         Anaerobic Workstations

Air Samplers                                                                  Sampling, Dilution & Enrichment Products

Biotrace International Plc is a leading manufacturer and supplier of specialist microbiology and life science products and services. The company has leading brands such as Biotrace, Cogent, Ruskinn, International BioProducts and Lucigen.

Biotrace is acknowledged as the global leaders in Rapid Hygiene Monitoring in the food processing, food retail and catering markets. Many of the world's leading food manufacturers and catering companies now rely on the Biotrace products as an essential part of their quality procedures. Rapid tests and consistent results ensure that Biotrace hygiene monitoring systems are also the choice for environmental and industrial processes such as paper/pulp biocide treatments and cooling water tower assessments. Customers include world leading water treatment chemical multi-nationals as well as companies within the cosmetics, toiletries and pharmaceutical sectors. Another product line that utilises ATP technology is that of the Defence/Bio-Detection Products. Biotrace has a dedicated team designing and providing state of the art detection systems to continuously monitor in real-time, the levels of airborne biological agents.   

Cogent Technologies leads the way in ATP-bioluminescence for end product screening in the UHT dairy and fruit juice markets.

Ruskinn Technology, which became part of the Biotrace Group in November 2001, is the market leader in anaerobic and modified oxygen incubation systems and workstations.  Established in 1993, Ruskinn has focused entirely on innovative new products in this specialist area. Today, the Ruskinn brand is the product choice of microbiologists and medical researchers in over 30 countries.

Biotrace International, serves a wide customer base in healthcare, industrial and defence markets.

RAPID CLEANLINESS TESTING AND HYGIENE MONITORING:

Rapid cleanliness testing systems measure the levels of product residue and microbial contamination once cleaning has taken place. High levels of product residue will  indicate inadequate cleaning and contamination risk. Biotrace 

ATP BASED HYGIENE MONITORING:

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is a universal energy molecule common to all living cells and organisms. ATP is therefore present in food residues as well as bacteria. It was found that the firefly produces its’ characteristic glow by utilising ATP in a reaction with the luciferase enzyme and luciferin substrate to release energy as light. Utilising the firefly substrate and enzyme, Biotrace designed their reagents to produce light in the presence of ATP. The light produced by the reagents can then be measured in a light sensitive luminometer (Unilite or the Unilite NG). ATP bioluminescence has become the industry’s gold standard for rapid hygiene assessment.

Clean-Trace (Surface Testing)  Clean-Trace sets the standard for rapid surface hygiene testing as this simple ‘pen-like’ device contains all the necessary reagents in a single shot format. Testing could not be easier.  Just swab, activate and measure. Clean-Trace can determine within 30 seconds whether it is safe for production to continue.

Aqua-Trace (Water Testing)
Aqua-Trace is designed to rapidly assess the cleanliness of CIP rinse waters by detecting for the presence of product residues and microbial contamination. Aqua-Trace is ideal for closed manufacturing equipment where CIP water is used as an indicator of cleanliness. The user-friendly single shot device can be used in production areas with minimal training required. Aqua-Trace is available as a total test to determine total levels of ATP from both product residue and microbial cells. Alternatively, an additional ATP free test will provide only somatic ATP levels. The value obtained from the ATP free test can be subtracted from the total ATP value to provide microbial ATP levels.

Bev-Trace (End Product Testing)
Bev-Trace is a rapid test kit for the determination of microbial contamination in filterable beverages. The method requires multiple steps and results are obtained within 24 hours, therefore reducing goods holding times and saving costly warehousing space. The Bev-Trace kit is also ATP based and is read using the Biotrace^â luminometers.

 Biotrace has two luminometers available:

Uni-Lite
A basic luminometer, used in conjunction with the Biotrace swabs, to determine surface and CIP water contamination levels within seconds. Hygiene testing could not be simpler than 3 steps.  Insert the swab, close the chamber and read. Once the instrument has read the sample, it generates results in relative light units (RLU) on the LCD display, and a results report will be printed via the external thermal printer.

Uni-Lite NG
The Uni-Lite NG (Next Generation) Luminometer from Biotrace boasts many valuable features.  The NG has the honour of being the lightest PMT (photomultiplier tube) based luminometer on the market, giving you sensitivity with portability.  The Uni-Lite NG offers advanced data trending and re-test facilities with it's windows based software called Bio-Track+.   Used with Clean-Trace and Aqua-Trace swabs to determine the level of contamination in a sample, results are available in 30 seconds.  The NG docking station is ideal for desk top stability and gives instant connection to your PC and charger, without the hassle of plugging or unplugging cables.

Bio-Track+ Data Trending Analysis Software
The BioTrack + Software is the most powerful hygiene data trending software available.  Bio-Track+ allows the creation of sample plans (a plan of which points you want tested and their pass/fail levels), and the upload of these plans to your Uni-Lite NG Luminometer.  Once testing has been completed, download data from your Uni-Lite NG to your PC for further data reduction.

The Bio-Track+ software can be as simple or sophisticated as you want or need it to be.  Whether you require sample measurements only or the system to be integrated as part of your HACCP monitoring programme, providing management reports, the Biotrace system is the system for you. 

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PROTEIN BASED HYGIENE TESTING SYSTEMS:

Check It
Check It is a quick, simple and cost effective device that provides instant visible results based on the detection of protein residues left from improper cleaning. Simply open the swab packet, expose the swabs angled tip, swab the surface, place swab in the swab packet and burst the yellow reagent onto the angled tip. Observe the instant colour reaction.  A yellow colour indicates that cleaning was effective but a blue/green colour is indicative of inadequate cleaning. The Check It Swab can only detect protein residues and is ideally suited for use in the meat, fish and dairy industries.  

Pro-Tect  
Pro-Tect is a superior swab to that of the Check It device.  It is easier to use and detects a wider variety of food residues. Protect can detect both protein and reducing sugars. The self-contained one step device utilises a simple colour change to indicate surface cleanliness. The swab can determine up to four levels of contamination. Green indicates clean, grey indicates caution (advise re-rinsing), purple indicates a dirty surface and deep purple indicates a heavily contaminated dirty surface (re-cleaning). This product does not necessarily require an instrument but for quantitative results it can be used in conjunction with the Pro-Lite reader.

Pro-Lite
The Pro-Lite is designed to be used with Pro-Tect swab.  The instrument measures the colour change reaction and provides numerical results in relative colour units (RCU’s).  The printer provides a hard copy of data for record keeping and associated HACCP programmes.

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BACTERIAL DIPSLIDES AND INCUBATORS:

Dipslides

The Dipslide is a safe, reliable and fast indicator of bacterial contamination in liquids and on surfaces. The slide is supplied in a sterile container and is pre-coated with selected media on either side. The sterile slides can be used on site by simply removing the slide from the sterile container, immerse it in the solution for liquid testing or press the slide onto contact areas for surface testing. Once the sample has been taken, the slide is placed back in the sterile container and incubated.  After an incubation period, the slide can be examined for growth and compared to the model chart provided. The Dipslides have an extended shelf life of nine months and are available as single or dual tests.

Specific Dipslides are available with a neutralising agent added to help cope with the effects of sanitizers used on surfaces after cleaning.  It is not necessary to use a Dipslide with a neutraliser, but it can be useful as a precautionary measure.  Certain Dipslides are also available with Redspot, which is the name given to Dipslides that contain TTC.  TTC is a colourless chemical that is turned red by most bacteria, making the colonies easier to count.

The following slide formats are available:

Incubators
Biotrace Incubators are easy to use, durable, reliable and compliment the Biotrace range of Dipslides. Depending on your requirements you can choose between the Almedica incubator or the portable Veba MediTemp incubator.

Almedica Incubator
The static incubator, the Almedica is a small multi-purpose incubator ideal for on-site sampling.  With a capacity to hold up to 24 Dipslides, it can be free standing or wall mountable, making it ideal for laboratories of all sizes.  Complete with a thermometer, the temperature range is ambient +5⁰C from  25 - 45⁰C (+ / - 1⁰C).

Veba MediTemp Incubator
The portable Veba MediTemp, provides the ideal solution for customers when incubating samples ‘off-site’ is a priority. Veba MediTemp is a perfect incubator for multi-site companies, universities or research centres where field work is carried out or companies with no dedicated laboratory services on site. The Veba MediTemp has 10 litre capacity and can be used from the mains or plugged into a car cigarette lighter socket.  This enables the incubation process to start as soon as a sample is taken, with no need for laboratory facilities.  Temperature is 35⁰C standard, but it can be set at 30 - 37⁰C at time of order.

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OTHER ATP BIOLUMINESCENCE SYSTEMS:

The Microbial Luminescence system (MLS) for UHT End Product Sterility Testing
ATP-bioluminescence has proven to be an effective, highly accurate method for testing UHT products in comparison to traditional ph readings and culture methods. Cogent Technologies a division of Biotrace^â utilizes ATP-bioluminescence to detect the presence of microbial ATP in UHT dairy, as well as non-dairy products such as rice, soy ‘milks’ and fruit juices. Used in conjunction with the Microbial Luminescence System (MLS), the UHT product screening reagents are specifically designed to exclude ATP from non-microbial sources, thereby measuring only microbial ATP in Relative Light Units (RLU). The measurement of microbial ATP indicates the presence of microbial contamination in the product. The three steps involved are incubation, sample transfer to microwells and finally placement of the microplate into the MLS system for reagent addition and sample analysis. The advantages of ATP testing in UHT products are as follows; high correlation to traditional methods with results available 48 hours faster, easy to perform tests and earlier detection of lactobacillus, assured consistency between technicians and plants, manufacturing costs are lower by reducing goods holding time and warehousing space.

AutoTrack
AutoTrack is a unique in-line system used to automatically assess microbial contamination in liquid or air samples by utilising ATP bioluminescence technology. The system continuously samples the liquid or air and determines microbial ATP by calculating the difference between total (non-microbial + microbial) and free (non-microbial) ATP. The system utilises two detection channels to determine total and free ATP levels. The system can be used to continuously monitor CIP water in the food industry or to monitor biocide activity in the paper and pulp industry.

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BIO-DEFENCE ATP MONITORING SYSTEMS:

BBDS
The BBDS is a modular non-specific airborne biological detection system, designed for use as a state-of-the-art, early warning system.

Air Sampler
The Air Sampler utilises wet walled cyclone technology for continuous detection of airborne biological contamination.

The Continuous Flow ATP Detector
The CFAD is a unique system, using patented technology to detect microbial contamination in a liquid sample using ATP bioluminescence technology.

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ANAEROBIC WORKSTATIONS:

Ruskinn was the first to introduce the world’s smallest anaerobic workstation, together with the rapid transfer interlock and single plate entry systems. They were also the first to provide the convenient “bare hand” Ezee sleeve™ system and intelligent humidity control. It is therefore easy to see why Ruskinn systems are the choice of many microbiologists and research scientists around the world. Instruments available include:

BugBox
The world’s favourite compact anaerobic workstation. Perfect for the smaller microbiology laboratory or as a personal workstation, the popular BugBox shares the innovative features of the larger Ruskinn workstations yet takes up a smaller area on the workbench. The BugBox is also available for microaerophilic testing. The BugBox M has all the standard features but can interlay with the Ruskinn patented gas mixing system.

Concept 400
With a spacious 400 plate working capacity, the Concept 400 is the choice of many hospital and general microbiology laboratories. Providing a perfect combination of capacity, speed and innovation, the concept 400 delivers simple sophistication and new levels of comfort and convenience. The Concept 400 can also be used for microaerophilic testing. The Concept 400-M incorporates all the familiar and proven features of the Concept 400, but it is tailored to interface with the Ruskinn patented gas mixing system.

Concept Plus
The Concept Plus is designed to meet the needs of the larger laboratories, where sample throughput and incubation capacity is paramount. As with all Ruskinn workstations, the Concept Plus combines excellent performance and ergonomics without compromising quality with a large 600 plate capacity.

Concept 1000 
The Concept 1000 is the ultimate workstation. It has been designed for large laboratories or research applications, The Concept 1000 boasts all the standard features of Ruskinn technology with a couple of unique features included. The Concept 1000 has a unique dual chamber system, which is accessed through a central interlock. Each work chamber features independent control of temperature and humidity and has independent user access so two people can work at the same time. An optional gas mixing module can be interfaced with one chamber to create two independent environments. The Concept 1000 has a 1000 plate capacity (500 plates in each cabinet) and an interlock transfer rate of 100 plates per 5 minutes. The Concept 1000 is a serious incubator for large workloads.

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AIR SAMPLERS:

The Air trace Environmental sampler and the Air trace Compressed gas sampler combine tried and tested technology with an innovative new design and state of the art control. The Air trace family brings a modern look to slit to agar impingement whilst offering a robust low maintenance solution to your sampling needs.  While the distance between the slit and the agar surface is set automatically, the user has control over key variables such as plate rotation speed and area exposed. The air flow rate is automatically set at a fixed rate of 28.3 litres per minute.  For localised Environmental Monitoring, the Air trace Environmental is available with an optional remote probe assembly. This allows validating sampling at point of fill applications during manufacturing, in laminar flow cabinets or in isolators.

Air trace samplers operate by drawing in air or gas at a fixed flow rate.  The head of each sampler holds a 140/150 mm agar plate at a fixed distance from a precision cut slit. The plate is rotated through 360 degrees for a sampling period of 1 hour (although users can adjust sampling time and the area of plate exposed). After appropriate incubation, the growth on the plated medium can be interpreted not only quantitatively but also from a real time occurrence of contamination. This can prove invaluable in pinpointing which event during a manufacturing process or surgical operation have raised the environmental bio-burden above acceptable levels. Once identified these areas can be scrutinised and appropriately addressed.   

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SAMPLING, DILUTION & ENRICHMENT PRODUCTS:

Launched in 1990, International BioProducts (IBP) environmental sampling, dilution and enrichment products are now part of the Biotrace International’s growing portfolio of industrial microbiology products. A perfect complement to the group’s extensive offering of rapid microbiology products, the IBP traditional microbiology range is innovatively designed for convenience based on our customer’s recommendations and are manufactured with the best materials available, to give the best value. The IBP range helps meet internal quality standards and government regulations through various applications:

Environmental Sampling
Designed specifically for microbial surface sampling, our innovative sponges offer exceptional convenience and unsurpassed quality. Our swab products are carefully selected for environmental sampling applications, incorporating both solid design and exceptional ease of use. Products available: Hydrasponge, Envirosponge, Spongesicle and Rediswabs.

Carcass Sampling
A complete line of convenient, high quality, cost effective HACCP sampling products. Products available: Megareg Cattle/Swine kits, Poultry Rinse and Turkey rinse.

Prepared Dilutions and Enrichments
A time saving solution for the laboratory. Designed with a host of innovative features, all products are stringently controlled for quality to ensure the very best products for their customers. Products available: Fliptop Dilution Bottles, Quick Dilute, Redibroth, Quick Enrich and BioPro Dehydrated Media.

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For more information on Biotrace  please visit their website at www.biotrace.com

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