3M Food Safety has introduced the 3M™ Environmental Scrub Sampler with 10 mL Wide Spectrum Neutralizer, an innovative solution for environmental microbial sampling applications. Designed for use with downstream detection methods such as 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plates and the 3M™ Molecular Detection System, this new technology provides the food manufacturing industry with a broad solution for proactive, integrated environmental monitoring and food microbiological testing.

The 3M™ Environmental Scrub Sampler is an environmental microbial sampling device used to collect samples from surfaces within food processing environments. The product is designed with acrylic scrub dot technology to quickly and effectively disrupt biofilm and enhance sample collection, comes with or without a stick to easily access hard-to-reach spaces and is hydrated with proprietary 3M™ Wide Spectrum Neutralizer for effective neutralization of sanitizers commonly used in the food industry.

"The 3M Environmental Scrub Sampler is the first and only sample collection device and neutralizing solution to receive AOAC® Performance Tested Method^SM certification (#022104)," said Elliott Zell, 3M Food Safety global new product marketing manager. "Sample collection is an integral part of all proactive environmental monitoring strategies, so we designed and validated a sampling solution that effectively neutralizes a wide range of sanitizing agents commonly found in the food industry to support our customers' sampling and testing strategies."

The 3M Environmental Scrub Sampler with 10 mL Wide Spectrum Neutralizer addresses four critical challenges faced in food safety testing:

• Neutralizing Solution Effectiveness: The 3M Environmental Scrub Sampler uses the proprietary 3M Wide Spectrum Neutralizer that is formulated to effectively neutralize sanitizers commonly used in the food industry, including quats, high acid cleaners, chlorine-based hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid-based sanitizers. Unlike alternative neutralizing solutions that can have limited effectiveness with specific classes of sanitizer, the new product can also maintain organism viability for up to 96 hours if stored refrigerated before starting microbial testing.
• Test Method Compatibility with Neutralizing Solution: The 3M Environmental Scrub Sampler is designed to work with downstream test methods, including 3M Petrifilm Plates and the 3M Molecular Detection System, helping to avoid interferences or challenges that can arise with commonly used neutralizing solutions. 3M Wide Spectrum Neutralizer is free from known allergenic components, known PCR-inhibitors, animal-derived materials (ADMs) and components made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
• Biofilm Disruption and Bacterial Pickup: The 3M Environmental Scrub Sampler is made from a multi-layered nonwoven composite product designed with a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers and incorporates scrub dot technology. The nonwoven scrub sampler pad is created for optimal pick up, release and absorbency, while maintaining integrity when sampling rough surfaces. Scrub dots are engineered to quickly and effectively disrupt biofilm and enhance sample collection.
• User Friendly Stick Features Easy Detachment and Metal Detectability: The 3M Environmental Scrub Sampler Stick uses less plastic compared to the current 3M™ Sponge-Stick, contains an additive for metal detectability and is ergonomically designed with 1-step detachment from the scrub sampler.

Visit www.3M.com/EnvironmentalScrubSamplerInnovative.