EPA registration approves sanitiser for food processing plants

Based on the silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) antimicrobial, Axen50 is the newly registered sanitiser, so called because it boasts a food contact tolerance of 50 parts per million of silver.

Registration by the EPA means the product is now approved for use in farms and food processing plants, as well as restaurants and homes. Hailed as “a major milestone”​ by the company, registration takes the product to market and opens up a swathe of new opportunities for Pure Bioscience and its patented SDC antimicrobial.

Next step​

The next step for Pure Bioscience is to add broad spectrum antimicrobial claims from its existing disinfectant registration to the registration of Axen50. The EPA regulatory work will include state registrations by distributors and is expected to take at least six months.

Alongside these immediate plans for Axen50, the registration of the sanitiser is expected to help speed up other projects surrounding the SDC antimicrobial.

“This registration accelerates our ongoing pursuit, through USDA, of additional direct food contact applications of SDC-based formulations as antimicrobial processing aids,”​ said Michael Krall, president and CEO of Pure Bioscience.

SDC is electronically generated source of stabilised ionic silver, and according to Pure Bioscience it is distinguished from competitors by its superior efficacy, low toxicity and its power to prevent bacteria from building a resistance.

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Claims​

The disinfectant active kills standard indicator bacteria in 30 seconds and provides 24-hour residual protection. It also has a two-minute kill claim on MRSA, CA-MRSA, PVL-MRSA and VRE.

SDC-based disinfectants have the added benefits of being odorless, colorless and non-corrosive. They do not demand hazardous materials procedures or gear, and rinsing is not required after use.

Axen50 and other SDC-based disinfectants from Pure Bioscience will join the fight against foodborne pathogens, which continue to cause serious health problems and economic damage in the US and elsewhere.

The Centre for Disease Control estimates that foodborne pathogens are responsible for 76 million illnesses per year in the US. Food companies can also be hit hard economically by health and safety problems – food recalls of cookie dough, peanuts and beef are recent examples.