Surface Sampling Solutions
The environment is a principal source of microbiological contamination within a food processing facility. At the same time, in livestock farming, the environment can indicate whether a farm safety program is functioning as it should. Environmental testing has therefore become a crucial part of any food and feed safety program.
Romer Labs offers a broad range of easy-to-use, sterile specimen collection and surface sampling kits for quality control and identification of hazards at critical control points.
Our solutions cover both
Cellulose Sponges for Food Production Applications
Dry and pre-moistened sterile cellulose sponges are convenient, ready-to-use products. They eliminate the costly and time-consuming steps of diluent preparation, sterilization and application to the sampling devices. They are designed to make sampling microbes from surfaces in food processing facilities and industrial settings more convenient. Sterility is guaranteed by exposing sampling products to irradiation. The use of different pre-moistening solutions enables a broad range of environmental and product (carcass) sampling applications.
Romer Labs®
Sponge-Sticks
The Romer Labs Sponge-Stick is a 3″ x 1.5″ (7.5 cm x 3.5 cm) compressed cellulose sponge attached to a quick-release handle, pre-moistened with 10 ml buffer of choice and individually packaged in a vapor-barrier foil pouch or already in a sampling bag. The quick-release handle provides an extra level of convenience and reliability. It is designed to release the sponge into the sample bag after sample collection, allowing only the sponge to be returned to the laboratory. Unnecessary parts that could interfere with sample processing are therefore eliminated.
The product is available in three versions:
- Sponge-Stick in vapor-barrier aluminum foil pouch for long shelf life with 2 years from production (includes also sterile twirl-tie bag; 24 oz 5.5" x 9")
- Sponge-Stick placed in twirl-tie bag with 12 months shelf life from production
- Sponge-Stick with dry sponge placed in twirl-tie bag with 5 years shelf life from production
| Item No. | Product | Quantity |
| In aluminum foil (incl. sterile Twirl-Tie™ bag) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10003700 | Neutralizing buffer (NB) | 100 |
| 10003698 | Dey-Engley neutralizing broth (DE) | 100 |
| 10003699 | Letheen broth (LB) | 100 |
| 10003697 | Buffered peptone water (BPW) | 100 |
| In Twirl-Tie™ bag | ||
| 10006157 | Neutralizing buffer (NB) | 75 |
| 10006265 | Dey-Engley neutralizing broth (DE) | 75 |
| 10006298 | Letheen broth (LB) | 75 |
| 10006267 | Buffered peptone water (BPW) | 75 |
| 10006609 | 0.9 % NaCI | 75 |
| 10006300 | Dry | 75 |
Romer Labs®
Sponge
The Romer Labs Sponge is a 3″ x 1.5″ (7.5 cm x 3.5 cm) cellulose sponge pre-moistened with 10 ml buffer of choice and individually packaged in a vapor-barrier foil pouch. The kit includes a 5.5”x 9” sterile Twirl-Tie™ bag with write-on label area and a pair of sterile plastic gloves packaged in an easy peel-open pouch.
| Item No. | Product | Quantity |
| Sponge in Twirl-Tie™ bag | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10006293 | Neutralizing buffer (NB) | 100 |
| 10006264 | Dey-Engley neutralizing broth (DE) | 100 |
| 10006299 | Letheen broth (LB) | 100 |
| 10006266 | Buffered peptone water (BPW) | 100 |
| 10006493 | 0.9 % NaCI | 100 |
| 10006301 | Dry | 250 |
| Sponge in Alu-foil | ||
| 10001901 | Neutralizing buffer (NB) | 100 |
| 10001899 | Dey-Engley neutralizing broth (DE) | 100 |
| 10001900 | Letheen broth (LB) | 100 |
| 10001898 | Buffered peptone water (BPW) | 100 |
| Kit (incl. Twirl-Tie™ bag & gloves) | ||
| 10001895 | Neutralizing buffer (NB) | 50 |
| 10001893 | Dey-Engley neutralizing broth (DE) | 50 |
| 10001894 | Letheen broth (LB) | 50 |
| 10001892 | Buffered peptone water (BPW) | 50 |
Romer Labs®
Sponge in Vial
The Sponge in Vial is a 3″ x 1.5″ (7.5cm x 3.5cm) compressed cellulose sponge, pre-moistened with 10 ml buffer of choice and individually packaged in a 120-ml plastic screw-cap vial. It has a label attached for sample identification and 12 months shelf-life from production.
Environmental Sampling for Livestock Farming Applications
Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination of poultry and other livestock products is a worldwide concern. To reduce instances of contamination at farms, methods for monitoring Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination in livestock shelters, beginning with drag swab sampling, have been developed by the USDA-FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service).
Alternative boot swabs are also used as stated in various EU regulations (e.g. Regulation of the Commission No. 2160/2003, 213/2009, 200/2010, 517/2011, 200/2012 and 1190/2012) to meet this objective.
Drag swab kits are sterile sampling devices used to sample poultry litter for pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella.
Romer Labs®
Boot Cover Swabs
The Romer Labs Sterile Boot Cover Swabs are 15 cm x 15 cm cotton-polyester blend fabrics sewn in a sock shape with an integrated elastic band sewn into the top in order to aid in securing it to the boot. The boot cover swab is pre-moistened with either skim milk or buffered peptone water and packaged in a Twirl-Tie™ bag. The complete product is gamma radiated to ensure sterility.
They swab may be used in conjunction with a plastic boot cover if dedicated boots are not used.
| Item No. | Product | Quantity |
| Boot Cover Swabs in 24 oz. (0.7 L) Twirl-Tie™ Bag, sterile 5.5" x 9" (14 x 23 cm) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10001906 | pre-moistened with skim milk - single | 100 |
| 10001910 | pre-moistened with skim milk - pair | 100 |
| 10001904 | pre-moistened with BPW - single | 100 |
| 10001907 | pre-moistened with BPW - pair | 100 |
| 10001905 | dry - single | 100 |
| 10001908 | dry - pair | 100 |
| Boot Cover Swabs (according to EU Commission Regulation) in 55 oz. (1.62 L) Twirl-Tie™ Bag, sterile 7.5" x 12" (19 x 30 cm) | ||
| 10001911 | pre-moistened with BPW – pair | 100 |
| 10001913 | pre-moistened with BPW – 2 pairs | 100 |
| 10001914 | pre-moistened with BPW – 2 + 3 pairs | 50 |
| 10006296 | pre-moistened with skim milk – single | 150 |
| 10006297 | pre-moistened with skim milk – pair | 100 |
| Plastic Boot Covers | ||
| 10001917 | Plastic boot cover (oversize) | 50 |
Romer Labs®
Fabric Swabs
Romer Labs fabric swabs, also known also swab cloths, are pre-moistened with 10 ml of your buffer of choice. The cloth is a blue, biocide-free, non-woven, wood-pulp/polyester fabric, measuring at 28 x 35 cm, folded twice and placed in a 55 oz., 7.5 x 12" (19 x 30 cm) Twirl-Tie™ bag. Bags can be opened easily with the attached pull-tabs and include a label area for sample identification. Like all microbial sampling products, they are irradiated for proven sterility.
| Item No. | Product | Quantity |
| Fabric Swabs (according to EU Commission Regulation, 28 x 35 cm, ≥ 900 cm²) in 55 oz. (1.62 L) Twirl-Tie™ bag, sterile 7.5" x 12" (19 x 30 cm) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10004589 | Fabric Swab pre-moistened with MRD | 200 |
| 10006188 | Fabric swab pre-moistened with Neutralizing Buffer (NB) | 200 |
| Fabric Swab Dry | ||
Romer Labs®
Drag Swabs
The cotton gauze or cellulose swabs are packaged in foil pouches in different formats for preference choice. Available are:
10002371 - Single sterile 12-ply 4″ x 4″ cotton gauze swabs, pre-moistened with double-strength skim milk, attached to approximately 6 ft. string, and enclosed in a tear-open, vapor barrier foil pouch
10002373 - Single sterile 12-ply 4″ x 4″ cotton gauze swabs, pre-moistened with double-strength skim milk, and enclosed in a tear-open vapor barrier foil pouch.
10002374 - Three sterile 12-ply 4″ x 4″ cotton gauze swabs, pre-moistened with double-strength skim milk, enclosed in a tear open, vapor barrier foil pouch.
10002377 - As an alternative to cotton gauze a cellulose sponge may be employed. Specimens are collected in the same manner using the cotton swab. These sponges are pre-moistened with double-strength skim milk and packaged in a tear-open, vapor barrier foil pouch. They are also attached to a string of approximately 6 ft.
10002378 - Single sterile 12-ply 4″ x 4″ cotton gauze swabs (pre-moistened with double strength skim milk) attached to a string approximately six ft. in length and packaged in a shatterproof 120 ml screw cap vial. After sampling, the gauze swab is returned to its plastic vial, labeled, and transported to the laboratory for analysis.
| Item No. | Product | Quantity |
| Drag Swabs | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10002371 | Drag Swabs - cotton gauze moistened in skim milk | 100 |
| 10002373 | Swabs - cotton gauze moistened in skim milk (no string) | 100 |
| 10002374 | Swabs - cotton gauze moistened in skim milk (no string, 3 per foil) | 100 |
| 10002377 | Drag Swabs - cellulose sponge moistened in skim milk | 100 |
| 10002378 | Drag Swabs - cotton gauze moistened in skim milk (in vial) | 100 |
| Miscellaneous Environmental Sampling Products | ||
| 10003780 | 100 cm2 template packaged in re-closable bag | 100 |
| 10003786 | 50 cm2 template packaged in re-closable bag | 100 |
| 10001883 | 18 oz. (0.5 L) Twirl-Tie™ bag, sterile 4.5" x 9" | 100 |
| 10001884 | 24 oz. (0.7 L) Twirl-Tie™ bag, sterile 5.5" x 9" | 100 |
Product availability may vary by country, please contact us for more information.
