With the appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there was a renewed interest in sanitizers and disinfectants. Most food safety professionals in the U.S. are aware that sanitizers and disinfectants are not the same and must be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). List N (disinfectants for coronavirus) gained in popularity as more people and companies were trying to eliminate the virus from their environment. It is a long list of chemicals with different contact times, depending on the product. During the initial period, some users may not have realized that all disinfectants are not created equal, although they have to meet the same acceptance criteria; some will be effective at lower concentrations, others act more rapidly, etc. To review a few facts:
EPA’s List N covers disinfectants effective against SARS-CoV-2. When trying to control other viruses, EPA may have approved specific antimicrobials. For example, there are lists for hepatitis C, avian (bird) flu, etc. However, for most food processing facilities, the concerns are for pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, pathogenic Escherichia coli, etc. As we will see in this article, the acceptance criteria for sanitizers are the same, whether the sanitizer contains quaternary ammonium, chlorine, iodine, etc. If you had to eliminate a resident population of L. monocytogenes or E. coli, you are likely to know that not all sanitizers will perform the same. As we will see, there are a few reasons for that.