Charm Tests for the Fresh Cut Produce Industry
Charm provides many types of rapid diagnostic tests that can help the Fresh Cut Produce industry improve food safety and quality.

Charm’s ATP-based sanitation program provides instant assessment of the hygienic status of surfaces and water within fresh cut produce packing facilities. Designed for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) programs, Charm’s ATP-based FieldSwab is uniquely engineered to allow food safety programs to be implemented outdoors in “field” type applications where water bio-quality, along with harvesting, transportation and storage equipment are monitored. In addition, Charm’s CideLite pesticide test can help companies strengthen residue avoidance programs when monitoring irrigation water and fresh produce. Charm’s new Fast Phage test detects coliphage, a viral indicator of fecal contamination in irrigation water, in less than 8 hours. Fast Phage can also be used as a process control in packing plants by trend testing flume water. Colorimetric and fluorescent indicator tests to detect coliforms, E. coli, and hydrogen sulfide producing enterobacteriaciae of which Salmonella is a predominant member in water and produce are also available.

• PocketSwab
• WaterGiene
• FieldSwab
• Fast Phage
• E*Colite
• ColiGel
• PathoGel
• CideLite

PocketSwab Plus The PocketSwab Plus is a room-temperature stable, self-contained, single service rapid ATP hygiene test that enables total surface hygiene verification in less than 25 seconds.     POCKETSWAB PLUS AT A GLANCE      • Surface hygiene verification       • 1-year shelf-life at room temperature        • Total sanitation indicator: Microbial, product residue,        personal hygiene, SSOP deviation      • No reagent preparation      • Re-sealable foil bag for easy storage      • Recyclable components for low environmental impact

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Rapid One Step Assay (ROSA^®)

WaterGiene WaterGiene is a super-enhanced test to detect total ATP in water, which is a critical indicator of total biologic activity resulting from microorganisms, as well as plant, animal or food material. WaterGiene is the most sensitive ATP water quality test due to enhanced reagent chemistry and superior bioluminescence detection on the Charm novaLUM instrument.     WATERGIENE AT A GLANCE       WaterGiene is useful for detecting:        • ATP in Rinse Water         • ATP in Clean-in-Place (CIP) Systems         • ATP in Water Storage Tanks       • ATP on Cooling Towers (Water Economizers)       • ATP in Warmers       • ATP in Potable Water            • ATP in Post-Wastewater Treatment

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Rapid One Step Assay (ROSA^®)

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Rapid One Step Assay (ROSA^®)

FieldSwab Charm FieldSwab is a room-temperature stable hygiene swab that rapidly detects ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a measure of surface cleanliness. FieldSwab is uniquely engineered to allow food safety programs to be implemented outdoors in “field” type applications or environments.     FIELDSWAB AT A GLANCE      • Enhanced sensitivity to ATP       • Uniquely engineered to allow analysis outdoors in “field”        • 1-year shelf-life at room temperature      • No reagent preparation      • Foam tip pre-moistened with biofilm breaking agent      • Patented thread design for ease and repeatability           • Recyclable components for low environmental impact

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Rapid One Step Assay (ROSA^®)

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Rapid One Step Assay (ROSA^®)

 

Fast Phage Charm Sciences’ Fast Phage test detects coliphage, a viral indicator of fecal contamination in water, in less than 8 hours. Coliforms, enterococci and E. coli have historically been the indicator organisms for fecal pollution in water even though enteric viruses predominantly cause water borne illnesses. As Coliphage has been identified as a alternative Indicator for the presence of enteric viruses, the Charm Fast Phage test enables municipalities and public health authorities to rapidly identify and remediate risks in ground water supplies.     FAST PHAGE AT A GLANCE      • Same day results – less than 8 hours       • Rapid fluorescent prediction      • Convenient ready-to-use unit dosed reagents      • Augment bacterial testing with Coliphage viral indicator      • Dedicated kits specific to either F+ or Somatic coliphage

E*Colite  E*Colite is a single use, self-contained test with selective medium designed to resuscitate and detect chlorine-stressed coliform and E. coli encountered in drinking, bottled and food/beverage waters. A “bag” and “vial” version of E*Colite provide convenient, easy to use indicator screen tests for pathogen control. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all public water suppliers regularly test for coliform bacteria and deliver water that meets the EPA standards.     E*COLITE AT A GLANCE      • EPA Approved Analytical Method for National Drinking Water Regulations       • EPA Approved for Compliance Monitoring under the Ground Water Rule      • Presence/Absence of coliforms and E. coli in water and beverages e.g., fresh juice      • Bacteriocide pouch included for field applications when autoclave unavailable      • Blue color development for unequivocal coliform determination in rust colored/turbid waters      • Yellow after 28 hours indicates negative for coliform and E. coli      • Fluorescence determines E. coli presence

ColiGel ColiGel is a single use, self-contained version of the E*Colite test with selective medium designed to detect coliform and E. coli in drinking, bottled and food / beverage waters. ColiGel contains a special “gelling” agent that allows quantitation of colony forming units as well as presence/absence.     COLIGEL AT A GLANCE      • Presence / absence of coliforms and E. coli       • Quantitation of coliforms and E. coli      • Detect 1 cfu/ 100 ml      • Yellow after 28 hours indicates negative for coliform and E. coli      • Fluorescence determines E. coli presence        • No filters or media preparation      • Shelf-stable space saving design      • Bactericide pouch included for field applications when        autoclave unavailable

PathoGel PathoGel is a single use, self-contained version of the ColiGel test with selective medium designed to detect coliform, E. coli and hydrogen sulfide producing enterobacteriaceae (e.g., salmonella, citrobacter) in food, beverages and waters. PathoGel contains a special “gelling” agent that allows quantitation of colony forming units as well as presence/ absence determination.     PATHOGEL AT A GLANCE      • Quantitative test for coliforms and E. coli      • Presence/absence indicator for hydrogen sulfide        producing enterobacteriaciae      • Detect 1 cfu/ 100 ml in water; 1 cfu/ 3 ml juice      • Shelf-stable space-saving design

CideLite Pesticide The Charm CideLite Test is a screening method that saves time by screening individual samples for the presence or absence of multiple organophosphate and n-methylcarbamate pesticides/ insecticides in water, feeds, and a variety of other food products.     CIDELITE AT A GLANCE      • 15 minute assay       • Simple extraction for most matrices      • No extraction for water or milk      • No purification step      • Broad spectrum detection for organophosphate        and n-methylcarbamates