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Microbiological testing firm, MSL Solution Providers, has introduced the new EN 17430 testing method in its roster of services. Proving efficacy to this standard helps manufacturers and suppliers ensure that their hand sanitiser’s claims are robust and meet all regulatory requirements, whilst, ultimately, improving infection prevention.
Introduced in spring 2024, the new Europe-wide standard EN 17430 is set to revolutionise hand disinfectant efficacy testing, especially in the medical sector. It takes a huge leap forward in the field of disinfectant efficacy testing by assessing products against viruses on subjects’ hands.
Whereas previous virucidal testing (EN 14476) evaluates efficacy in-vitro, EN 17430 bridges the gap between laboratory tests and practical use. It simulates practical conditions to establish whether a hygienic hand rub reduces the release of virus contamination on hands when applied.
Peter Thistlethwaite, Technical Manager at MSL Solution Providers, said: “If you manufacture or supply hand sanitising gels to the medical sector, you simply can’t afford not to have your products tested to EN 17430. It not only substantiates virucidal efficacy claims, but also adds reassurance that the product works effectively in real-world scenarios – hugely important for settings where infection prevention is critical, like in hospitals, healthcare, and care facilities.”
As well as EN 17430, MSL can perform testing for standards EN 1500 and EN 1499. Its full service of hand hygiene testing includes EN 13624 (fungicidal or yeasticidal activity), EN 13727 (bactericidal activity), EN 12791 (surgical hand disinfectant efficacy), EN 14476 (virucidal efficacy of medical disinfectant products), EN 1499 (bactericidal efficacy of hygienic handwashes), EN 1500 (bactericidal efficacy for hygienic hand rubs), EN 1276 (bactericidal activity, non-medical), and EN 1650 (fungicidal or yeasticidal activity, non-medical).
