F-AP (Fast Alkaline Phosphatase) Test
In less than one minute, dairies can be confident that liquid milk products are completely pasteurized using the Charm F-AP (Fast Alkaline Phosphatase) test. The F-AP test is a second generation chemiluminescence test, modeled after PasLite, an ISO standardized method. F-AP detects alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme that is destroyed during pasteurization.
The F-AP test is not only fast, it is easy to perform and simple to calibrate. Add a milk sample to an F-AP vial. Insert the vial into the novaLUM II-X system, mix, and read results. The system measures the amount of light emitted, which is directly proportional to the amount of active phosphatase enzyme in the sample.
The F-AP test limit of detection for liquid dairy products is 20 milliunits per liter (mU/L) phosphatase (approximately 0.002% raw milk), well below the 350 mU/L level (0.1% raw milk) required by most public health agencies. The F-AP method has been independently evaluated and published as an equivalent method to PasLite. F-AP is recognized in the US Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for verification of dairy pasteurization.
Benefits
- Results in 45 seconds (creams and chocolate milks require 90 second analysis)
- Limit of detection below public health guidelines
- Tests liquid dairy products (milk, flavored milk, cream)
- Approved by the US NCIMS, New Zealand NZFSA, and Tasmania TDIA
- No incubation; no sample preparation required for milk and cream
- Easily incorporated into a HACCP program
- Results can be read in the novaLUM II-X system
Regulatory Info
- Approved by the US National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS)
- Approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
- Approved by the Tasmanian Dairy Industry Authority (TDIA), Australia
Industries
The F-AP test is easily read on:
- Journal of Food Protection (Vol 74, No 7, 2011) “Evaluation of Alkaline Phosphatase Detection in Dairy Products Using a Modified Rapid Chemiluminescent Method and Official Methods”
- AOAC 2009 Poster “Comparison of Phosphatase Methods Used for Milk Pasteurization Verification”
- AFP 2008 Poster “Alkaline Phosphatase Detection via Chemiluminescence in 45 Seconds Using a One-Step Assay”