Overview
Hygiena SpotCheck Plus detects glucose and lactose residue on a surface by colour change. Swab the surface, release the reagent, and read the result — no meter and no interpretation required.
Supplied as a 100-pack.
How to read it
If residue containing glucose or lactose is present, the reagent turns green. The more contamination there is, the faster the colour develops and the darker it becomes.
Results in 60 seconds. That is fast enough to check, correct and re-check while the cleaner is still at the bench.
Why test for sugars
Glucose and lactose residues are a direct indicator of food soil in dairy, bakery, beverage and confectionery environments. They also matter in general commercial cleaning wherever sugary residue is the soil — a surface that reads clean visually can still carry a film that will support growth.
Sugar residue is also relatively easy to remove compared with protein. That cuts both ways: a positive SpotCheck result on a surface that has supposedly been cleaned is a strong signal that the cleaning procedure is not working, because sugar should have been the easy part.
For the harder residue, use PRO-Clean, which tests for protein.
Where a colour test fits
A colour-change test and an ATP test answer different questions and it is worth being clear about which you need:
- Colour tests (SpotCheck Plus, PRO-Clean) — specific to a residue type, pass or fail by eye, no instrument, minimal training. Excellent for frontline checks by the cleaning team.
- ATP tests (UltraSnap, SuperSnap) — general organic residue, numeric result you can trend, requires a luminometer. Better where you need records and a trend rather than a yes or no.
Many programmes use both: ATP for the audit trail, colour tests for daily checks by the team doing the work.
Using it well
Swab a defined area consistently. A colour test is still a sampling test.
Read at the stated time. The intensity develops over time, so reading early and reading late give different impressions of the same surface.
Sample before sanitising where your procedure allows.
Keep a reference. Agreeing internally what "acceptable" looks like — and photographing it — stops the standard drifting between shifts.
Integration with EnSURE Touch
Where the site runs an EnSURE Touch, enzyme test results can be recorded alongside ATP results so the whole monitoring programme sits in one dataset rather than in a notebook.
Storage and shelf life
ATP and enzyme test devices are reagent products with a real shelf life, and that shelf life depends on how they are stored. Refrigerated storage is what preserves it.
Hygiena storage and shelf life guide for environmental and microbiology testing devices (PDF)
Shipping: the price of this item includes thermal packaging and an ice pack, so the devices arrive in condition. Put them into refrigerated storage when they land rather than leaving the carton on a bench.
Frequently asked questions
Does it need a meter?
No. The result is a colour change you read by eye.
How long does it take?
Results in 60 seconds.
What colour means a fail?
Green indicates glucose or lactose residue. Darker and faster means more residue.
Will it detect protein?
No — use PRO-Clean for protein.
How many tests in a pack?
100.
Do they need refrigeration?
Yes — see the storage and shelf life guide above.
Building a hygiene verification programme? Tell us what you are cleaning and what you need to prove, and we will help you pick between colour tests, ATP, or both.
