Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Surface is a rapid surface hygiene test designed to help food processors, sanitation teams and QA/QC departments verify cleaning effectiveness in approximately 10 seconds when used with a compatible Kikkoman Lumitester.
Unlike conventional ATP-only hygiene tests, Kikkoman's A3 technology measures ATP + ADP + AMP. Measuring all three adenylates provides a broader indication of biological and food residue that may remain on a surface after cleaning.
Each LuciPac A3 Surface device combines the sampling swab, releasing reagent and luminescent reagent into one disposable test. After the surface is sampled and the reagent is activated, the test is inserted into a compatible Lumitester and the result is reported in RLU – Relative Light Units.
LuciPac A3 Surface is particularly well suited to food and beverage processing, breweries, wineries, dairy facilities, commercial kitchens, sanitation programs, pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturing, industrial QA/QC and other hygiene-sensitive environments.
ATP testing is widely used as a rapid method for checking whether biological residue remains on a surface after cleaning.
Kikkoman's A3 method expands on ATP-only testing by measuring three adenylates:
ATP can break down into ADP and AMP through biological activity, food processing, heating, fermentation and natural degradation.
Kikkoman's LuciPac A3 chemistry allows ADP and AMP to contribute to the measurable signal so the system can determine the combined ATP + ADP + AMP response.
For food and sanitation applications, this provides a broader indication of residual biological soil than relying on ATP alone.
LuciPac A3 Surface is designed for hygiene and cleaning verification. An RLU result is not a bacterial count, CFU result, pathogen test or allergen-specific test. Use appropriate microbiological, pathogen or allergen methods whenever those analyses are required.
LuciPac A3 Surface is designed to make routine sanitation checks fast and repeatable.
Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Surface 60361 uses a dry sampling swab.
When a dry surface is being sampled, follow Kikkoman's instructions for appropriately moistening the swab before collecting the sample.
Kikkoman also manufactures a separate LuciPac A3 Surface Pre-Moistened version, product code 60367, for applications where a ready-to-use pre-moistened swab is preferred.
For meaningful hygiene trending, use a consistent test location, sampling area, swabbing technique and stage in the cleaning process. Documenting the procedure in your sanitation SOP helps make results more comparable between employees, shifts and production days.
One of the main advantages of A3 hygiene monitoring is the ability to obtain feedback while sanitation personnel can still respond.
Instead of relying only on visual inspection, the Lumitester provides a numerical RLU result that can be incorporated into a defined sanitation-verification program.
This allows a facility to:
LuciPac A3 Surface is particularly well suited to food and beverage sanitation programs where rapid feedback is useful before production begins.
Potential test locations include:
A3 testing can support pre-operational sanitation verification, corrective-action testing, cleaning validation activities and sanitation trending as part of a broader facility hygiene program.
Beverage-processing facilities can use LuciPac A3 Surface to monitor equipment and production areas after cleaning.
Potential test locations include:
For direct testing of compatible water, rinse or liquid samples, use Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Water instead of the surface swab.
Food residues can contain ATP as well as ADP and AMP. Kikkoman's A3 method is designed to measure the combined adenylate signal rather than ATP alone.
This makes LuciPac A3 Surface particularly relevant for sanitation programs involving biological and food residues such as:
A3 testing can also be useful as a training and process-improvement tool because cleaning performance is converted into a numerical result rather than relying entirely on visual inspection.
Repeated testing can help sanitation and QA teams identify:
When used with the Kikkoman Lumitester Smart, results can also be incorporated into Kikkoman's digital data-management workflow.
Results are reported as RLU – Relative Light Units.
The measured light corresponds to the bioluminescent reaction generated by the collected sample and Kikkoman A3 reagent.
In a post-cleaning hygiene program, an unexpectedly high result may indicate that additional cleaning or investigation is required.
Kikkoman allows facilities to establish benchmark values so results can be classified according to their hygiene-management program.
RLU is not a universally standardized unit across ATP testing manufacturers. Benchmark values developed for another luminometer or reagent system should not automatically be applied to Kikkoman LuciPac A3. Establish limits appropriate to the Kikkoman system, your test locations and your sanitation program.
Sampling conditions can influence an ATP/A3 result.
Residual detergent, bleach, alcohol and other cleaning or disinfecting chemicals may interfere with the biochemical reaction and can produce unusually low results.
For meaningful trending, establish a consistent point in your sanitation sequence for collecting A3 samples and follow Kikkoman's sampling and operating instructions.
Kikkoman specifies LuciPac A3 Surface for use with:
LuciPac A3 Surface is the sampling and reagent device. A compatible Kikkoman Lumitester is required to measure the reaction and provide the RLU result. Kikkoman states that the older PD-10(N) is not compatible with LuciPac A3.
| Feature | LuciPac A3 Surface | LuciPac A3 Water |
| Kikkoman Code | 60361 | 60365 |
| Primary Application | Surface hygiene verification | Water and compatible liquid samples |
| A3 Detection | ATP + ADP + AMP | ATP + ADP + AMP |
| Quantity | 100 tests | 100 tests |
| Typical Samples | Equipment, tools, work surfaces and defined sanitation test points | Compatible water, rinse and liquid samples |
Need liquid testing instead? View Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Water.
LuciPac A3 Surface is a temperature-sensitive reagent product and should be stored according to Kikkoman's instructions.
The applicable expiry date is printed on the LuciPac packaging. Rotate inventory and do not use tests beyond the manufacturer's stated expiry.
Very cold reagent can affect measurement performance. Follow the Kikkoman instruction manual for reagent preparation and operating-temperature requirements before testing.
The performance of Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Surface has been validated through the AOAC Research Institute Performance Tested Methods program.
LuciPac A3 Surface carries AOAC PTM certification 051901.
This provides third-party validation of the method's evaluated performance under the AOAC PTM program. Facilities should still implement the product according to Kikkoman's instructions and their own approved hygiene-monitoring procedures.
| Specification | Value |
| Manufacturer | Kikkoman Biochemifa |
| Product | LuciPac A3 Surface |
| Kikkoman Product Code | 60361 |
| Cambridge SKU | EF40948 |
| Application | Surface hygiene and cleaning verification |
| Detection | ATP + ADP + AMP |
| Format | Dry sampling swab with integrated releasing reagent and luminescent reagent |
| Quantity | 100 tests per kit |
| Packaging | 20 tests × 5 aluminum bags |
| Storage | 2–8°C; do not freeze |
| Unopened Shelf Life | 15 months from manufacturing date |
| Opened Bag | Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks |
| AOAC-RI PTM | 051901 |
| Compatible Instruments | Lumitester Smart, Lumitester PD-30 and Lumitester PD-20 |
Use the Kikkoman resources below for detailed instructions on LuciPac A3 sampling, reagent activation, Lumitester operation, maintenance and data management.
Review the manufacturer's instructions before using LuciPac A3 Surface for routine hygiene monitoring.
Download the Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Surface Instruction Manual
Using LuciPac A3 Surface with a Lumitester Smart? The full instrument manual covers instrument setup, measurement procedures, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, maintenance and troubleshooting.
Download the Kikkoman Lumitester Smart Instruction Manual
Kikkoman's quick training video demonstrates the A3 testing workflow with the Lumitester Smart and introduces the associated digital hygiene-monitoring workflow.
Watch the Kikkoman A3 Quick Manual on YouTube
LuciPac A3 Surface is designed to detect ATP, ADP and AMP as indicators of residual biological material and surface cleanliness when used with a compatible Kikkoman Lumitester.
Each kit contains 100 tests packaged as five aluminum bags containing 20 LuciPac devices each.
Yes. LuciPac A3 Surface is the sampling and reagent device. A compatible Kikkoman Lumitester is required to measure the reaction and display the RLU result.
Kikkoman specifies the Lumitester Smart, Lumitester PD-30 and Lumitester PD-20. The older PD-10(N) is not compatible with LuciPac A3.
No. Product code 60361 is the standard dry-swab version of LuciPac A3 Surface. Kikkoman also offers a separate pre-moistened version, product code 60367.
The Lumitester Smart has a standard measurement time of approximately 10 seconds. Follow Kikkoman's operating instructions regarding reagent temperature and temperature compensation.
No. Kikkoman specifically states that LuciPac A3 Surface is not intended for counting general living bacteria. The A3 signal may include material from microorganisms as well as food and other biological residues.
No. LuciPac A3 Surface is a hygiene-monitoring test and is not intended to identify specific pathogens.
No. A3 testing provides rapid information about surface cleanliness. Microbiological testing should still be performed when required by your SOP, customer, regulatory program or food-safety plan.
No. A3 hygiene monitoring is not allergen specific. Use an appropriate allergen-specific method when verification of a particular allergen is required.
Store unopened LuciPac A3 Surface at 2–8°C and do not freeze. Kikkoman specifies an unopened shelf life of 15 months from the manufacturing date.
Kikkoman instructs users to refrigerate an opened aluminum bag and use the remaining LuciPac devices within two weeks.
Yes. Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Surface has AOAC Research Institute Performance Tested Methods certification 051901.
LuciPac A3 Surface is intended for surface hygiene monitoring. For direct water or compatible liquid testing, use Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Water.
Conventional ATP hygiene tests use ATP as the primary indicator. Kikkoman A3 measures ATP together with ADP and AMP, providing a broader adenylate-based indication of residual biological material.
Cambridge Environmental Products supplies Kikkoman LuciPac A3 Surface, LuciPac A3 Water, Lumitester Smart instruments and related sanitation-verification products across Canada.
Cambridge Environmental Products supplies Kikkoman A3 hygiene-monitoring systems and consumables for Canadian food and beverage processors, breweries, wineries, dairy facilities, sanitation teams, manufacturers and QA/QC laboratories.
If you are building a new hygiene-monitoring program, tell us your number of test locations, expected tests per day or week, type of facility and whether you require surface testing, water testing or both.
Cambridge can help estimate instrument requirements and ongoing LuciPac usage so you can understand both the initial equipment cost and expected annual consumable requirements.
Each LuciPac A3 Surface kit contains 100 tests. Tell Cambridge how many locations you plan to test and how often you will test them, and we can help estimate your monthly and annual consumable requirements.
We can also help compare surface and water A3 testing, Lumitester requirements and the overall testing workflow for your facility.
