Whirl-Pak® Speci-Sponge® Environmental Surface Sampling Bags are designed specifically for environmental and surface sampling in food safety, sanitation verification, and public health testing. Each sterile bag contains a special dry sponge that is free of bactericides and tested to be non-inhibitory, ensuring accurate recovery of target organisms.

This system is commonly used for sampling work surfaces, equipment, processing areas, and other environmental locations where testing for Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, coliforms, and other foodborne pathogens is required. After collection, the sponge is returned to the bag for secure transport to the laboratory.

In the lab, media may be added directly to the bag for incubation and presence/absence testing, or the sample may be expressed from the sponge for pipetting and plating. The bag is manufactured from blended polyethylene film and sterilized after production to help maintain sample integrity throughout collection and analysis.