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    Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity in Different Sanitizer Products Commonly Used in Food Processing Environment and Home Setting

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    The presence of microorganisms to work surfaces represents a potential risk to transmit pathogens to food or humans by cross-contaminations. In food processing and in home setting, disinfectants or sanitizer products are used on inanimate objects and surfaces to inactivate all recognized pathogenic microorganisms. Uncorrected disinfection procedures, in term of declared concentration or time of contact, can lead to the survival of different types of microorganisms. In this study, six sanitizers (herein named A, B, C, D, E, F) belonging to different class of chemical disinfectants were considered: acids (products A, E), halogens (B), quaternary ammonium compounds (C), oxidizing agents (F), mixed classes (D). The antimicrobial activity of each sanitizer was evaluated against Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 35150, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43387, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Candida albicans ATCC 14053 was examined by the quantitative suspension test indicated by EN 1276. Our investigation confirmed that different factors affect the activity of chemical sanitizers such as formulation, temperature, time of contact, target microorganism, organic load. The last factor is taken in consideration in the suspension test indicated by EN 1276, that required performing experiments in both dirty and clear simulated conditions. Our data showed that, in general, the examined sanitizers are effective in reducing bacterial growth (logarithmic reduction >5) at the manufacturer recommended concentrations or lower, but in some cases the presence of organic matter interfered with their activity. In this case, it was necessary to use a more high concentration of the chemical product, as reported for the products A, B and F. In conclusion, this work highlighted the need that, in each sanitizer product label, the exact information regarding concentration and time of contact are better specified to obtain the indicated bactericidal effect and avoid the onset of bacterial resistance. Moreover, it’s important that disinfectants are applied on work surfaces after cleaning and removing organic matter that could create a physical barrier protecting microorganisms from the activity of the sanitizers

    Valutazione dell’attività antimicrobica di prodotti per l’igiene e la disinfezione di superfici nel settore alimentare

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    Disinfection of work surfaces is a critical step in the food industry. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of four commercial products against target pathogens, using the suspension test indicated in the European Standard EN 1276: 2009. The data obtained indicate that the product containing benzalkonium chloride (“A”) was the most effective with a logarithmic reduction > 5 against all microorganisms after 5 minutes of contact in simulated dirty and clean conditions. Efficacy of the product based on sodium hypochlorite (“B”) was dependent on the experimental conditions applied, while for products containing hydrogen peroxide and citric acid (“C” and “D” respectively), 15 min of contact were required, in both the experimental conditions, to obtain a logarithmic reduction> 5. Exposure time to disinfectants and applied conditions appear to be important in reducing bacterial load to safe levels in the food industr

    Microbial study of cosmetic products during their use by consumers: health risk and efficacy of preservative systems

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    To evaluate the microbial contamination of 91 cosmetics (23 o/w emulsions, 47 tensiolytes, 21 aqueous pastes) in three different states of use (intact, in-use, ending product) and the protection efficacy of the preservative systems most frequently used in the analysed cosmetic formulations. Methods and Results: Total bacterial count, isolation and identification of pathogenic isolates were performed on the collected cosmetics. About 10Æ6% of tensiolytes (13Æ5% bath foam, 6Æ7% shampoo, 10% liquid soaps) were contaminated by Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas putida. The efficacy of the preservative systems of two cosmetic products, tested against standard micro-organisms (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 4338 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027) and two isolates from cosmetics in this study (S. epidermidis and P. putida), satisfied the Cosmetics, Toiletries, and Fragrance Association and Official Italian Pharmacopeia criteria, while only one tested cosmetic respected the Rapid Challenge Test criterion. Conclusions: Contaminated cosmetic products are relatively uncommon, but some products, unable to suppress the growth of several micro-organisms, represent a potential health hazard. Significance and Impact of the Study: The challenge test may be performed not only during the preparation of the preservative system in the intact cosmetics, but also be used to evaluate the protection efficacy during their use

    In vitro ability of essential oils and surfactants to enhance the antimicrobial activity of preservative agents against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus

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    The aim of this study is to evaluate possible synergistic antimicrobial interactions between common cosmetic preservatives and selected essential oils or surfactants. The antimicrobial efficacy of six essential oils, three surfactants and five preservatives against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43387 was assessed by a broth micro-dilution assay. MICs for individual and combined antimicrobials were determined and then transformed to fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indexes. All essential oils exhibited antibacterial activity; among surfactants, bacteria resulted most susceptible to the cationic agent. Synergy was observed when essential oils of eucalyptus and mint were combined with methylparaben against P. aeruginosa, while essential oils of mint, oregano and sage combined with propylparaben and imidazolidinyl urea acted against S. aureus. Many binary mixtures of preservatives and surfactants produced synergistic activity with the most effective interactions involving the cationic and amphoteric compounds under study. FIC indexes demonstrated synergistic effects when preservatives were combined with either essential oils or surfactants against both bacterial strains. These results highlight the potential usefulness of essential oils and surfactants to enhance the activities of conventional biocides. This kind of study should contribute to the selection and optimization of preservative systems for cosmetic preparations
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