Disinfectants and Sanitizers for Use on Food Contact Surfaces
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REVISED AUGUST 2011 Disinfectants and sanitizers for use on food contact surfaces Colette Gaulin, Mê-Linh Lê, Mona Shum, Daniel Fong Summary • Health Canada has approved the sale of disinfectants for food premises which contain chlorine compounds (e.g., bleach), peroxide and peroxyacid mixtures, carboxylic acids, quaternary ammonium compounds, acid anionic, and iodine compounds for use on food-contact surfaces. • Important considerations when choosing a sanitizer for food contact surfaces • Disinfectants for use in food premises include: effectiveness at reducing must have a drug identification number microbial contamination in specific (DIN) and meet criteria, including conditions, cost, ease of application, those regarding antimicrobial efficacy, need for rinsing, toxic/irritating stipulated in the Health Canada properties, and compatibility with locally document Guidance Document: available water. Disinfectant Drugs. Products are evaluated by the Therapeutic Products • For sanitizers to be effective, proper Directorate (TPD) of Health Canada. cleaning and rinsing must be completed Not all disinfectants are appropriate for before sanitizers are applied. use on food contact surfaces (e.g., toxic residues may be left). Product • Products such as tea tree oil, baking labels specify the intended/appropriate soda, vinegar, electrolyzed water, use of the disinfectant and should be microfibre cloths, ozone, and silver read before use. compounds are not registered disinfectants for food premises, • Food contact sanitizers are regulated according to the Health Canada by the Bureau of Chemical Safety definition. (BCS), Food Directorate, and Health Canada. The BCS determines the maximum residue levels that remain Introduction on food products after use and, if acceptable, the Canadian Food There are numerous commercial products Inspection Agency (CFIA) issues a No available for disinfecting and sanitizing Objection Letter for these products. surfaces in food premises, such as Only food contact sanitizers that have restaurants or processing plants. This disinfectant claims (such as document reviews the criteria for food- bactericidal, virucidal) require a DIN. contact surface sanitizers and describes 1 active ingredients that have been proven effective for General Information about disinfecting and sanitizing food contact surfaces. This document is intended for food safety inspectors and Sanitizers auditors who may review the types and usage of sanitizers in food premises. A sanitary environment is achieved by removing soil deposits and subsequently applying a sanitizer or A food contact surface is defined by the Canadian disinfectant to reduce the number of residual Food Inspection Agency as any equipment or utensil microorganisms. Mechanical or physical cleaning which normally comes in contact with the food product (also called precleaning) is an important step in a or surfaces normally in contact with the product.1 sanitization program as some debris, such as organic Health Canada distinguishes between cleaners, matter, may inactivate or lead to decreased disinfectants, food contact sanitizers, and sterilants effectiveness of disinfectants. Prior to disinfection, the (see Appendix A for definitions). use of mechanical cleaning increases disinfectant efficacy, and in some cases, increases log As the intended use and toxicological risks are reductions.1 Regular and effective cleaning can be different, disinfectants used on non-food contact more important than use of a disinfectant for reducing surfaces (e.g., environmental surfaces, medical bacterial concentrations (e.g., cleaning and rinsing devices) are regulated differently than those used on alone may achieve 2 to 3 log reduction).2 food contact surfaces. Labelling should always be read before using disinfectants, as they specify the Sanitization may be achieved through thermal, intended uses that are appropriate for the product. radioactive or chemical means. Chemical sanitizing is Food contact sanitizers are regulated by the Bureau of more frequently used in food production facilities than Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, and Health thermal or radiation techniques. Canada; aspects of toxicity and safety are evaluated (e.g., residue levels). In collaboration with the Operators must be careful not to mix or use multiple Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), a No sanitizers at once. For instance, mixing ammonia and Objection Letter is issued for the product if, for sodium hypochlorite solutions produce chloramines, example, the residue levels are evaluated as while mixing sodium hypochlorite and acid solutions 3 acceptable. (e.g., vinegar) can produce chlorine gas. Although not all food contact sanitizers have According to the available literature, alternative disinfectant claims, those that do must have a Drug antimicrobial products such as tea tree oil, baking Identification Number (DIN) in order for the product to soda, vinegar, silver, ozone, electrolyzed water, and microfibres have not met the Health Canada criteria be authorized for sale in Canada. A unique DIN for the for disinfectants in food premises.4-16 However, some product is issued by Health Canada, once the product may be listed as hard surface sanitizers on CFIA’s has been evaluated and meets the requirements website, in the Reference Listing of Accepted outlined in the Health Canada document Guidance Construction Materials, Packaging Materials and Non- Document: Disinfectant Drugs (see Appendix B-D for Food Chemical Products. A companion NCCEH the process of registration/approval). document on alternative antimicrobial products will be available shortly. There are a number of desired characteristics of sanitizers, but no single product will have all the characteristics listed below. Operators must decide on which ones are important to their own situations. 2 1,17 Desired Characteristics in a Sanitizer Practical implications for Ease of Low toxicity Non-corrosive operators application To ensure that operators are using the appropriate Good Fast acting No harmful or food-contact surface sanitizers, and using them penetrative offensive odour properly to maximize effectiveness and reduce the power chance of resistance occurring, PHIs should convey Stability (long Not adversely Active before the following points19: shelf life for affected by organic and after dilution concentrate) matter with hard water • If possible, use products with DIN that are Compatibility Broad spectrum of Not persistent in approved by Health Canada for use in food with other activity towards the environment premises. (To obtain information on disinfectants chemicals and gram-positive and that have received authorization, visit this link: material of gram-negative http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/dpd-bdpp/index- construction bacteria, fungi, and eng.jsp.); viruses • As all food-contact surface sanitizers with DIN are Demonstrate Economy (cost- effective at reducing bacteria, choose other residual activity effective characteristics that are desired (e.g., virucidal performance) cost-effective, low toxicity, non-corrosive); • Ensure surfaces are cleaned (i.e., organic matter and debris are removed) prior to sanitizing; Resistance to Sanitizers • Always use sanitizers according to manufacturer’s Growing concern over the development of resistance instructions and only for their intended purpose to certain therapeutic drugs has led to questions over (i.e., use at recommended concentrations, microorganisms developing resistance to sanitizers. temperature, pH, and contact time); The three types of resistance that may occur are • Avoid mixing or using multiple sanitizers at once; innate, apparent or acquired. As most sanitizers are non-specific, the development of resistance is mostly • Use mechanical force (i.e., scrubbing) to help 18 caused by innate factors, which are chromosomally eliminate biofilms; controlled properties naturally associated with the organism. Potential mechanisms include: • Determine whether rinsing needs to occur after application (e.g., see product label and • Impermeable cellular barriers preventing manufacturer’s instructions). This step is penetration of the sanitizer; concentration dependent (see Table 1 for concentrations above which rinsing is necessary); • Cellular efflux (mechanisms inside the cell pump compounds out); • If resistance is discovered (by specific testing), use a disinfectant with a different active • Lack of a biochemical target for antimicrobial ingredient. Using higher concentrations of the attachment or microbial inactivation; same disinfectant is discouraged, as this could promote the emergence of resistant microbes. • Inactivation of antimicrobials by microbial enzymes.19,20 Evidence Gap While certain microorganisms have shown resistance to sanitizers (see Table 1), there is no evidence that Although proper cleaning before sanitizing the proper use of sanitizers in a food facility will cause should reduce any risk of producing disinfection 19 resistant microorganisms to develop. by-products, there is little information on whether the production of disinfection by- products is a problem in real-world situations, where surfaces may not always be cleaned properly. 3 * Table 1 Characteristics of commonly used active ingredients for sanitizing food surfaces Affected Sanitizing/ Hard Organic Microorganisms/ Residual Corrosive Sanitizer Rinse Toxicity Stability Odour Water Matter Resistance or Activity (metals) 19 Concentration Affects Affects Limitations Chlorine Bacteria, fungi, 50 to 500 ppm Skin and