Accurate Indigo® 0–100 ppm quat (QAC) test strips for detecting sanitizer residues on food, equipment, and packaging. Supports HACCP, FDA, USDA organic & export compliance.
Indigo® residual quat test strips (10–100 ppm range) can verify low-level sanitizer residues in food, beverage, and agricultural settings. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs, or “quats”) are widely used as disinfectants and surface sanitizers because of their strong antimicrobial activity.
However, in organic food production, export markets, and HACCP programs, residual quat levels need remain below regulatory limits. These 10–100 ppm QAC test strips provide fast, reliable on-site testing for processors, inspectors, and certification auditors & are important for organic food certification. The strips are particularly sensitive to cetylpyridinium chloride which is used to treat chicken for microbes such as Salmonella sp.
The directions on the test strip bottle are for testing liquid quat solutions. Test surfaces for residues by first wetting the strip's testing pad with water (deionized or distilled if available). Then press against fruits, vegetables, cutting boards, utensils, etc. for at least 10 seconds & then compare against the color chart.
Levels less than "10" ppm are impossible to determine but some organic certifications call for "0" ppm. This is because water alone causes a reading of 10ppm. Read more in our blog on What 10ppm really means? when measured on surfaces of knives, cutting boards, fruits or vegetables.
Swish strip in liquid 5 times & then compare to color chart after 10 seconds.