Antibacterial activity
The shelf life of a product can be extended either by adding artificial preservatives or by taking hygienic measures during the manufacturing process. As the consumer trend today is towards preservative-free foods with a long shelf-life, industry is being forced to rethink its manufacturing methods. Instead of adding preservative agents, increased hygienic precautions can be taken during production. A clean and hygienic manufacturing environment is an essential prerequisite in order to keep contamination-related reject rates low. The utilization of surfaces in the manufacturing environment with antibacterial properties can significantly reduce contamination risks.[citation needed]
The determination of the antibacterial activity (microbicidy) of surfaces is described in the following norms: ISO 22196[1] and JIS Z 2801.[2] The Japanese norm JIS Z 2801 was published in 2000 and published again in 2007 as the internationally valid norm ISO 22196. Therefore, ISO 22196 and JIS Z 2801 are identical. In the test, both a surface system coated with sporicide and an identical surface system without an antibacterial coating are charged with selected microorganisms.[citation needed]
A once-only assessment of the reduction factor is carried out after 24 hours by determining colony counts on the reference surface and on the antibacterial surface.[citation needed]
References
- 3. ISO 22196:2011 https://www.iso.org/standard/54431.html