NOSB 

Sanitizer Panel Discussion

NOVEMBER 12, 2012

DR. ANGELA ANANDAPPA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ANGELA@SANITATIONALLIANCE.ORG
WHY WHAT HOW

Materials C onsiderations 

• Functional benefit of using the 

specific chemical. 

• Alternatives and efficacy. 

• Equivalence.

• Include at least one alternative 

for each purpose. 

• Application Methods

• On what surface(s)

• Protocols and 

recommendations for 

proper use

• Fertilizers

• Cleaners

• Surfactants

• Sanitizers

• Disinfectants
Food S afe ty is Hurdle s Bas e d

 Food safety hazards include biological, physical, chemical, and radiological agents.

 Reducing/eliminating them from the food is the goal of a food safety program. 

 The use of chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, cleaning agents, sanitizers, processing 

aids, disinfectants etc.) provides one hurdle that limits contamination by pathogens. 

 A soil to package view of hurdles provides opportunities for appropriate control, and 

each operator must have risk management options. 

 In evaluating materials, recommended uses, actual uses and overall impact should be 

evaluated
At which ste p in the sanitation proce s s is the material 

required?

Water Quality – Differs tremendously 

Consistency – Protocols used at all steps determine effectiveness.

Sanitizer efficacy – Rotation is recommended. Scientific basis for 

when to change is complex and not well understood. 

Sanitation Protocol

Chemical – Use the right chemical, in the right solution and 

concentration, and at the right time

Physical Action – Scrubbing 

Contact Time – Applying the chemical (series of chemicals) and 

allowing them to come into contact with the target surface being 

treated for the recommended amount of time.

Notes:

 Sanitizers do not work on unclean surfaces

 Harvesting equipment, transportation, personnel, processing 

equipment, facility, product itself 
Soil, Water, Animal digestive tract.

Studies show Biofilms can be found in 9.3% of food and non-food contact surfaces in a food processing plant. 

Biofilms are ubiquitous

Listeria on Stainless Steel

Takhistov, Paul 2015

Biofilm initiation and development is a complex process that includes several major stages. 
Bacteria live in communitie s

Daniel Passos Da Silva, 2017 An Update on the Sociomicrobiology of Quorum Sensing in Gram-Negative Biofilm Development

Biofilms are living communities that possess complex organization, defense 

mechanisms, hierarchy, team work between members of the community, are able 

to communicate and have “memory”. 

• Made of bacteria (including pathogens), 

yeast, mold, viruses, sugars, proteins etc.

• Biofilms are ubiquitous throughout the 

food system and should be considered in 

all biocide efficacy studies. 

• Biocide studies using biofilm targets are 

difficult to design and evaluate. 

• Cleaning protocols may remove topmost 

layer while preserving biofilm 

infrastructure.

• Complex interactions exist between 

members of the biofilm and biocides.
Evaluation Criteria for Materials Bas e d on 

Effe ctive ne s s

Planktonic (free floating) Sessile Form (Biofilm) Listeria Biofilm on Stainless Steel

Confocal microscopy of 

E. coli O157:H7 bilfilm

Listeria cells under the 

microscope

Swapnil, et. al 2015. 

Biofilm-Forming Abilities of Listeria 

monocytogenes Serotypes Isolated from 

Different Sources

Studies: 

Soil removal, pathogen elimination, residue reduction

Evaluation methods: 

Study design, microbiological methods used, evaluation criteria, target 

organisms etc.
Addition and re moval criteria

• Is a viable alternative available for operators to use? 

• Does the product provide alternatives for protecting foods that have fewer processing steps, or are consumed raw?

• Does the product address a unique hurdle that has not been addressed previously? 

eg: In –field cleaning of harvesting equipment

• Poultry, dairy, produce, grain, offer different long term use challenges with certain sanitizers. 

eg: monitoring microbiome trends 

• Does the use cause more harm to the product or environment than the benefits offered? 

• Natural extracts, Gas, light alternatives to traditional biocides need similar efficacy, effectiveness studies and long termmonitoring.

• Re-evaluation based on data

• Antimicrobial resistance vs. persistence considerations.