Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

A Method to Test the Efficacy of Handwashing for the Removal of Emerging Infectious Pathogens
Published on: June 7, 2017
Designing a method to test the efficacy of different sanitizers for use in rubber footbaths as applied to dairy
Denise Lindsay1, Vanessa Thompson1, Megan Harrigan1
1Fonterra Research and Development Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Abstract:
This study designed an in vitro model to test the efficacies of footbath sanitizers for use in dairy processing plants. Efficacies of selected sanitizers for inactivation of mixed-cocktail, dairy-relevant Gram-negative bacteria in model footbaths, in the presence of milk residues, were measured over 7 days against attached and planktonic populations by plate counting and calculating log reductions achieved. A simplified practical table ranked the most to the least effective sanitizers. These included: biguanide/quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) combination > biguanide = accelerated hydrogen peroxide = ethanol/sodium hydroxide combination > phenolic compound = amine amphoteric compounds > amphoteric surfactant > diclosan = chlorine dioxide > enzyme/surfactants combination.

