ATP Contamination Testing · Lumitester Smart
The grease you can’t see
is the slip you can’t explain.
ATP testing measures the invisible organic and grease contamination left behind on a floor — turning “it looks clean” into a number that proves whether your cleaning program actually works.
What ATP testing reveals
A clean-looking floor
can still be a hazard.
ATP — adenosine triphosphate — is the energy molecule present in food residue, grease, and organic soil. A floor can pass a visual inspection while a film of grease sits in the surface texture, quietly destroying traction. ATP testing detects that residue when the eye can’t.
- Detects food grease and organic contamination invisible to the naked eye
- Explains slip complaints on floors that “look fine”
- Verifies whether a cleaning protocol is actually removing contaminants
- Pinpoints the zones where maintenance is falling short
- Pairs with slip-resistance testing for a complete picture of a surface
How it works
A LuciPac A3 Surface swab collects residue from the floor. Inserted into the Lumitester Smart handheld luminometer, it triggers a firefly-luciferase bioluminescence reaction and returns a result in about 10 seconds.
The reading is reported in Relative Light Units (RLU). Kikkoman’s A3 method captures ATP plus its breakdown products ADP and AMP — making it more sensitive to food and grease residue than older ATP-only tests. The higher the RLU, the more organic contamination is present.
Fast. Non-destructive. On-site. Results the same visit, with no disruption to your operation.
Why it matters
Maintenance success or failure — measured.
An ATP program does for your cleaning what slip testing does for your floors: it replaces assumption with evidence.
Prove the program works
Baseline your floors, then verify that your cleaning crew and chemistry are actually removing grease — not just moving it around.
Find the failure points
Zone-by-zone readings show exactly where contamination accumulates: kitchen exits, drink stations, entryways, transitions.
Document your diligence
Contamination readings alongside slip-resistance data build the maintenance record that protects you in a claim.
Better together
ATP + Slip Resistance = the full story.
Slip testing tells you how much traction a floor has today. ATP testing tells you why — and whether your maintenance is the cause or the cure. We run both, so you’re not guessing at the connection.
Common questions
What does ATP actually detect?
Adenosine triphosphate is present in food residue, grease and organic matter. A high ATP reading means organic contamination is present on the surface — the kind of residue that degrades slip resistance and signals inadequate cleaning.
How is it measured?
With the Kikkoman Lumitester Smart handheld luminometer and LuciPac A3 Surface swabs. The device reads in about 10 seconds and reports Relative Light Units (RLU) — on-site, non-destructive, same visit. The A3 method detects ATP, ADP and AMP for higher sensitivity than ATP-only systems.
Does a good ATP result mean the floor is safe?
It means the surface is clean of organic contamination — one important factor. Slip resistance also depends on the surface itself, moisture and footwear. That’s why we pair ATP testing with PTV or DCOF slip testing for a complete assessment.
Who benefits most from ATP testing?
Any operation where grease and food residue reach the floor: restaurants and commercial kitchens, grocery and food retail, cafeterias, food processing, and hospitality.
Find out what your floor is really hiding.
The research behind contamination (ATP) testing
ATP testing does not measure slip resistance directly — it measures the organic and grease residue that quietly destroys traction. Two lines of evidence support using it. Selected sources:
- Osimani, A., Garofalo, C., Clementi, F., et al. (2014). Bioluminescence ATP Monitoring for the Routine Assessment of Food Contact Surface Cleanliness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health — validates ATP (relative light units) as a rapid, repeatable proxy for organic-residue cleanliness, with a strong correlation to measured contamination.
- Li, K.W., Chang, W.-R., et al. (2004), Safety Science 42(6); and Moore, D.F. (1972), The Friction and Lubrication of Elastomers — the science linking contaminant and grease films to loss of wet traction (the squeeze-film effect).
- Because ATP measures residue and not friction, we pair it with pendulum (PTV) or DCOF testing, using ATP to explain why a floor lost traction and whether the cleaning program is the cause.
ATP bioluminescence detects organic residue, not slip resistance or specific organisms. Studies and standards are cited for reference. Consult the current published edition of any standard before making a compliance decision.