Ensure nuts and grains are free of quat residues with Indigo® QAC test strips. Protect consumers from allergen cross-contact, verify sanitation practices, and meet HACCP, FSMA, and organic certification requirements.
Sanitation is essential in the processing of nuts and grains, where both microbial safety and allergen control are critical. Indigo® residual quat test strips can detect down to 10 ppm & provide food processors with an easy, reliable way to verify that no sanitizer residues remain after standard following mandated cleaning procedures. This is especially important in facilities that handle allergen-prone foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, and soy, where consumers are already highly sensitive to contamination risks. By confirming low or no quat residue, producers can reassure buyers, regulators, and allergy-conscious consumers that their products are both safe and compliant with industry & government standards.
Confirm residues on drying racks, silos, and packaging surfaces ensuring ≤100 ppm, using Indigo® residual QAC test strips which detect down to 10 ppm..
Show compliance with HACCP, FSMA, and export certifications to meet international trade requirements.
Strengthen brand reputation for allergen-conscious and organic-friendly grains.
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.
Related information or images
Residual Quat 10-100 ppm
Berries
Dairy-Cheese
Fermented Foods
Leafy Greens
Microgreens-Sprouts
Wild Organic Rice
Specifications
Swish strip in liquid 5 times & then compare to color chart after 10 seconds.
Read ≤10-30-60-80-100ppm ppm for quaternary ammonium disinfectant concentration.
Indigo® quat test strips have a guaranteed minimum 3 year shelf life but desiccant lined vials allow for 5+ years.
Store at 20-30C, in a dry place out of direct sunlight.
Indigo® QAC test strips are calibrated for Oasis 146, see details.
Consult your supplier if any special testing is necessary for their formulation.
Solution temperatures from ~30-45C can cause strips to read up to ½ unit a chart unit higher.
Temperatures above 45C can shift the results 1 chart unit higher. Testing at room temperature
Hard water (above 500 ppm) can cause the strips to read high by up to 1 chart unit.
The number of strips (100) per vial is approximate.
