EN Numbers: Knowing The Standard for Cleaning Products
With the increase of cleaning activity during and since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been greater discussion around improving cleaning standards, knowing your EN numbers, and the difference between specific cleaning products.
You may have even read the back label of a spray or liquid and seen EN:1276 or EN:14476, but what do they mean to you and your business? The abbreviation EN stands for European Standard, which is a series of quality and safety criteria that if a product makes a claim, it has to have passed. The numbers correspond to a specific test, and in most cases, for disinfectants, bleaches and sanitisers they relate to a series of microbial suspension methods.
Here, we are going to explain what the tests are and what each number refers too, to help you make a more qualified decision when purchasing products.
EN Numbers: Bactericidal Activity
These tests relate to the effectiveness of a product to kill bacteria.
This EN number signifies proof of bactericidal efficacy within laboratory suspension tests. It measures the effectiveness of a product at killing bacteria in a test tube. For a pass, the product must kill 99.999% of bacteria within 5 minutes; this is evaluated by counting live cells under a microscope.
This EN number measures the proof of bactericidal efficacy for use in the food industry, especially areas that deal with raw meats and dairy products. It includes testing the product with dilutions to the point where it no longer works.
This EN number tells you the bactericidal efficacy for use in a medical setting, and this test applies to all products that used for this purpose, including hand scrubs, hand washes, and disinfectants for surfaces and instruments. Products must be stable when mixed with hard water.
EN Numbers: Virucidal Activity
The EN numbers below relate to the effectiveness of a product to kill viruses.
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Similar to EN 1276 it measures proof of virucidal efficacy employing a suspension test and an incubation period of several days.
Tests the proof of virucidal efficacy for products that are related to the veterinary industry.
The fungicidal activity of products used in the food, industrial and domestic markets are tested for their ability to kill a suspension of a fungus such as Candida albicans.
A test to measure the effectiveness of handwash using water to reduce the transmittance of microbes.
A practical test, where the bacterial contamination of the fingertips before and after use of alcohol hand rub is used.
If you can't remember or don't know your virus from a bacteria, read our article here or want more information about the difference between 99.9% and 99.999% read here.
Further Reading
