Hygicult tests
Hygicult contact slides are intended for rapid monitoring of microbial hygiene on surfaces. Tests can be performed on-site, or the slides can be used as convenient transport media for cultured samples.
Generally
Hygicult tests are reliable, economic and timesaving on-site surface hygiene monitoring tests. Hygicult is available in five versions for different customer needs. Hygicult TPC is intended for general hygiene monitoring as most common bacteria, yeasts and moulds can grow on it. Hygicult E and Hygicult E/ß-GUR are intended for the detection of Enterobacteriaceae. Additionally, Hygicult E/ß-GUR differentiates ß-glucuronidase-positive organisms, especially Escherichia coli. Hygicult CF supports the growth of coliform bacteria while the growth of gram-positive organisms is inhibited. Hygicult Y&F (Easicult M) is intended for the detection of yeasts and moulds; no bacteria grow on this slide.
Hygicult TPC and Hygicult E dipslides have been validated in a collaborative study in twelve laboratories1-2. Hygicult TPC validation report has been approved by NMKL/Nordval3.
Hygicult tests provide you with
- Ready-to-use on-site tests
- High quality products
- Hinged slide for easy surface sampling
- Easy result interpretation - No counting of colonies
- Long shelf-life when compared to culture plates
- Reliable method – validated by AOAC1,2 and certified by NMKL/NordVal3
References
- Salo S, Laine A, Alanko T, Sjöberg A-M, Wirtanen G. Validation of the Microbiological Methods Hygicult Dipslide, Contact Plate, and Swabbing in Surface Hygiene Control: A Nordic Collaborative Study. Journal of AOAC International 2000; 83(6): 1357-1365.
- Salo S, Alanko T, Sjöberg A-M, Wirtanen G. Validation of the Hygicult® E Dipslides Method in Surface Hygiene Control: A Nordic Collaborative Study. Journal of AOAC International 2002; 85(2): 388-394.
- NMKL 5: 2001. NordVal 018
Technical data
| Products available |
|
| Method | Culture |
| Sample type | Contact inoculation, dipping or swab sample |
| Time to result | Incubation for 1 to 5 days depending on the product and the temperature |
| Reading of the result | Visual, semiquantitative |
| Storage | 18 - 25 °C |
| Shelf life |
|
| Transportation | 18 - 25 °C |
| Size and weight | 160 x 66 x 98 mm, 210-220 g |
| Full export carton of kits | 50 |
| Additionally needed | An incubator for Hygicult E/ß-GUR and Hygicult E |
| Note | Limit values for microbial count in normal drinking water are too low to be detected by Hygicult method |
| Country of origin | Finland |
| Registered trademark | Hygicult is a registered trademark of Aidian Oy |
About the tests
Hygicult TPC is intended for general hygiene monitoring. The slide is covered on both sides with Total Plate Count (TPC) medium that supports the growth of the most common bacteria and fungi. The medium contains neutralising agents making the product suitable to be used in environments where disinfectant chemicals have been used.
Hygicult E contains Violet Red Bile (VRB) medium with addition of glucose. The medium is selective for gram-negative bacteria belonging to the family of Enterobacteriaceae (e.g. Escherichia, Shigella, Salmonella, Citrobacter, Klebsiella and Enterobacter) and the growth of gram-positive microbes is inhibited. Glucose allows some other species, such as Pseudomonas and Aeromonas, to grow.
Hygicult E/ß-GUR contains two different media. The VRB medium on one side of the slide is the same as in Hygicult E. The other side contains the colourless ß-GUR medium, which supports the growth of gram-negative organisms.
The ß-glucuronidase producing micro-organisms (especially E. coli) grow on this medium as dark colonies making the results’ interpretation easy.
Hygicult CF contains VRB medium. The product is intended for detection of lactose fermenting coliform bacteria that can grow as bright red colonies on the medium. The growth of gram-positive bacteria is inhibited.
Hygicult Y&F (Easicult M) contains malt agar medium on both sides of the slide. Malt agar supports rapid growth of yeast and moulds while the growth of bacteria is inhibited. Hygicult Y&F (Easicult M) is intended for detection of fungal contaminations.
Documents and materials
Marketing and sales materials
Hygicult TPC NordVal Certificate (EN)
Schedule for orders, delivery and stability (EN)
Hygicult Application sheets
Indoor Swimming Pools and Spas (EN)
Hygiene Monitoring: Laundries and Textile Services (EN)
Scientific materials
(Available only to logged-in distributors)
Guide
A Guide to Monitoring Surface Hygiene (EN)
Stories
Rapid and reliable tools for monitoring cleanliness in hospitals (EN)
Video
Instructions for use
(For informative use only. Kindly always refer to the latest package insert in the kit.)
Hygicult TPC IFU (GB, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, NO/DK, SE, FI), 68010
Hygicult E IFU (GB, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, DK, SE, FI), 68012
Hygicult Y&F (Easicult M) IFU (GB, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, DK, SE, FI), 68013
Hygicult E/β-GUR IFU (GB, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, DK, SE, FI), 68267
Hygicult CF IFU (GB, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, DK, SE, FI), 06036
Safety Data Sheet
If you wish to receive a Safety data sheet, please contact: product.support@aidian.eu
Frequently asked questions
Is Hygicult suitable for detecting bacteria in water?
The quality of drinking water should be tested according to the laws and regulations in your country. Please contact your local food safety authorities or environmental laboratories for further information.
Hygicult can be used for monitoring sewage waters and cooling towers, but it is not sensitive enough for drinking water. The sensitivity limit for Hygicult TPC is 1000 cfu/ml or cfu/cm2, while the limit for drinking water is < 100 cfu/ml.
Can Hygicult contact slides be used as a transport medium if a sample needs to be taken to a microbiology lab for further cultivation?
Yes. Hygicult contact slides are excellent for this purpose.
Can enterobacteria be detected from a sample that has been frozen?
Yes. Enterobacteria can survive when frozen.
The medium has detached either partially or totally. Why is that? Is the slide still usable?
Do not use the slide. Agar drop-off is most likely due to rough handling during transport.
Which bacteria strains grow on Hygicult TPC?
Hygicult TPC is covered with Total Plate Count agar which supports the rapid growth of the most common bacteria, yeasts and moulds. A comprehensive study on all possible organisms has not been carried out. It is important to understand that Hygicult TPC is not intended for detection of specific microbes, but it can be used to monitor general hygiene levels or microbial contaminations.
What is the sample volume Hygicult dipslide picks up when dipped?
The volume is estimated to be 40 - 50 μl per slide.
In which cases is Hygicult more suitable for environmental hygiene analysis than the ATP (luminescence) method?
Hygicult is more suitable if the number of living bacteria is required to be determined and if the source of contamination needs to be identified. The number of living bacteria indicates the hygienic status of a surface and whether it is a potential hazard as items that come into contact with it may become contaminated.
Do any of the Hygicult products specifically identify microbes (such as Legionella or other pathogens)?
No, they do not. You need to use pathogen-specific methods.
What is the surface area of a Hygicult contact slide?
One side of Hygicult contact slide is about 9.4 cm2, and both sides together have a surface area of about 18.8 cm2.
The culture medium has an orange-like appearance. What is wrong? Is the slide still usable?
The slide is unusable. The most probable reason is freezing. When frozen, the tubes most likely contain an excessive amount of water.
The medium has flattened, although the expiry date has not yet passed. Why is that? Is the slide still usable?
The agar is usable if the medium has shrunk less than 2 mm from the edges of the plastic frame and the meniscus of the agar pad is over the edges.
There is liquid in the tube. Can I use the contact slide in spite of the liquid?
The liquid is water which has condensed from the agar onto the tube walls due to temperature fluctuations. If the volume of water is only droplets and the agar looks normal, you can use the contact slide. You can shake the extra droplets out before closing the tube after sampling.
What does it mean in practice that Hygicult can be performed “on-site”?
It means that you can do sampling, incubation and interpretation of the results on-site and avoid sending the samples to a lab, thereby also avoiding lab costs.
The advice is to dispose Hygicult by immersing it in a suitable disinfectant overnight. Is there any disinfectant you can recommend?
Any disinfectant intended for disinfecting surfaces is suitable for this purpose. It is difficult to recommend one because there are a variety of disinfectants available worldwide with different brand names. It is most convenient to use the one which is available in the facility.