Testing disinfectants in the food factory: phenol coefficient method

Contamination of foods by the environment has direct public health and keeping quality significance. The food factory environment (with raw materials and processing) governs the numbers and types of microorganisms in finished products. Use of the appropriate sampling procedures permits us to discover the magnitude and type of contamination. Microbiological sampling allows objective evaluation of the disinfectants and the sanitation practices and procedures used in the food factory.Disinfectants are antimicrobial pesticides that are primarily used on inanimate surfaces (such as floors, walls, and countertops) to kill infectious bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Antimicrobial pesticides are substances used to kill or suppress the growth of harmful microorganisms on inanimate objects and surfaces. Products intended for the control of microorganisms in or on people or animals are considered drugs, not pesticides, and are therefore regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Antimicrobial pesticides are divided into two broad use categories: 1. Non-public health products include those used to control the growth of algae, odor-causing bacteria, and microorganisms causing spoilage, deterioration, and fouling of materials. Examples include antimicrobials used in cooling towers, paints, and paper products. 2. Public health products are intended to control microorganisms infectious to people. Examples include sterilants, which are used to destroy or eliminate all forms of microbial life including fungi, viruses, and all forms of bacteria and their spores; disinfectants, which are used to destroy or irreversibly inactivate infectious fungi and bacteria, but not necessarily their spores; and sanitizers, which are used to reduce, but not necessarily eliminate microorganisms. Examples range from sterilants used to treat surgical instruments to disinfectants applied to hospital floors, walls, and bed linens and sanitizers used on carpets or in laundry additives.