{"id":2710,"date":"2020-03-30T09:30:23","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T13:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/?p=2710"},"modified":"2024-03-15T15:41:56","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T19:41:56","slug":"clean-sanitize-disinfect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/2020\/03\/30\/clean-sanitize-disinfect\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting for Produce Farms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This is a guide to understanding the differences between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting.  It is focused on produce farms and is motivated by current concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Chris Callahan, UVM Extension with review and input from team members of the Produce Safety Alliance (Cornell University), Hans Estrin (UVM Extension), Lisa McKeag (UMass Extension), Phil Tocco (Michigan State University)<\/em>, and Annalisa Hultberg (University of Minnesota).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide is intended to provide information about the differences between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting hard surfaces on produce farms. The motivation for this guide is the current COVID-19 pandemic and questions from growers about what can be used and how much should be used. It is important to note that COVID-19 has not been found to be transmitted via food and that this guide is not supporting the disinfection or sanitization of produce. Also remember that cleaning should be a first step in any of these activities.&nbsp; Follow the EPA label for your product and always wear personal protective equipment as indicated.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/8\/87\/PDF_file_icon.svg\/625px-PDF_file_icon.svg.png\" alt=\"File:PDF file icon.svg - Wikimedia Commons\" style=\"width:35px;height:42px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Also <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/2021-11-24-UVM-Ext-A-Guide-to-Cleaning-Sanitizing-and-Disinfection-Fact-Sheet-v3.0_.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">available as a PDF<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The CDC provides <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/school\/cleaning.htm\"><strong>more detail on their cleaning website<\/strong><\/a><strong>, but the take-homes are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cCleaning<\/strong> removes germs, dirt, and impurities from  surfaces and objects\u2026using soap (or detergent) and water to physically remove [them].\u201d  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<strong>Sanitizing<\/strong> lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements.\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<strong>Disinfecting<\/strong> kills germs on surfaces or objects.  Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces or  objects. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or  remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can  further lower the risk of spreading infection.\u201d <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When should I sanitize and when should I disinfect?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you have a <strong>possible<\/strong> hazard (e.g. pathogenic E. coli in growing environment) cleaning and <strong>sanitizing<\/strong> is appropriate for food contact surfaces such as harvest bins, wash line food contact surfaces, and sorting and packing tables. This is doing what you would normally do within a farm food safety plan or cleaning and sanitizing SOP. Each farm and situation is unique, but some examples of when you might choose to sanitize include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sorting table in an open wash\/pack shed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CSA bins returning from community distribution with no known illnesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Farm stand counters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you have a <strong>known or probable (likely)<\/strong> hazard (e.g. visible feces, bodily fluids, or blood or an employee is found to be ill with communicable disease) cleaning and <strong>disinfecting<\/strong> is appropriate. This is generally an activity focused on specific surfaces that uses a higher concentration of disinfecting chemical and\/or longer contact times, when compared to sanitizing. These surfaces may be high touch areas that many people touch regularly or they may be surfaces with visible contamination. Each farm and situation is unique, but some examples of when you might choose to disinfect:<ul><li>Visible feces, blood, or other bodily fluid on food contact surfaces<\/li><li>CSA bin returned from a household with a known transmittable illness<\/li><li>CSA bins returned from a high volume distribution in a location with high probability of known illness<\/li><\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tractor \/ truck cab after operator has been diagnosed with a known transmittable illness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Credit \/ debit card machine key pads <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can I use a sanitizer or disinfectant not labeled for coronavirus for protecting against coronavirus?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, nothing is currently labeled for killing SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus we\u2019re dealing with. The virus is too new to have had anything be tested for efficacy. Even though many commonly-used sanitizers are labeled for sanitizing and disinfecting food contact surfaces, the labels will not list SARS-CoV-2 as a target organism.&nbsp;Use of the product may be appropriate to the label when the target is more generally pathogenic microorganisms such as in routine sanitation.&nbsp; Routine sanitation practices are expected to also control SARS-CoV-2 levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some products are labeled for other coronavirus or viruses\nthat are more difficult to kill, however. The EPA does provide \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/pesticide-registration\/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2\">List\nN<\/a>\u201d which are disinfectants that they approve for use against SARS-CoV-2. For\nexample, both Ultra Clorox Brand Regular Bleach (EPA#5813-103) and CloroxPro\nClorox Germicidal Bleach are included in this list (EPA#67619-32). This list\nincludes products with the same active ingredients as some sanitizer products\nused on the farm. For example, there are PAA\/Hydrogen Peroxide solutions on\nthis list which use the same active ingredients as the Sanidate, Tsunami, and\nVigorox branded products which are common on many fruit and vegetable farms. It\nstands to reason that these other products would also be effective when used\naccordingly (at the right dose, in the right application, with the right amount\nof time, etc.)&nbsp; These are not normal times, and sourcing products that are\non List N may not be possible. &nbsp;If you have a sanitizer with common active\ningredients, it may be your best choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do I adjust my use of a sanitizer for disinfection?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Clorox Bleach Example:<\/strong> Reviewing <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/005813-00050-20110303.pdf\">the label for Ultra Clorox(R) Brand Regular Bleach<\/a> (alternate  name, \u201cClorox Germicidal Bleach\u201d), a 6.0% sodium hypochlorite product,  we note that this product is labeled as effective against human  coronavirus (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/005813-00050-20110303.pdf#page=35\">p.35 revised<\/a>). We also note that the concentration used for disinfection of hard, nonporous surfaces (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/005813-00050-20110303.pdf#page=14\">p. 14<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/005813-00050-20110303.pdf#page=22\">22 of PDF<\/a>)  is 2700 ppm (\u00be cup per gallon of water) available chlorine, a contact time of 5 minutes is required and a rinse with potable water and air drying are required. This is a higher concentration  and longer contact time compared to the lower rate used for sanitizing (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/005813-00050-20110303.pdf#page=14\">p. 14 of PDF<\/a>)  of 200 ppm (1 tbsp per 1 gallon of water) with 2 minutes of contact  time followed by air drying. For treatment of water use for fruit and vegetable washing (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/005813-00050-20110303.pdf#page=37\">p.37, \u201cFor Fruit and Vegetable Washing\u201d<\/a>) the concentration is 25 ppm with a submersion time of 2 minutes. The <a href=\"https:\/\/ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/dgvnsk7366\/files\/inline-files\/26414.pdf\">effectiveness of chlorine depends on the pH of water<\/a>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sanidate Example:<\/strong> Reviewing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/070299-00019-20190328.pdf\">label for Sanidate 5.0<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/070299-00019-20190328.pdf#page=14\">p.12, \u201cGeneral Disinfection\u201d<\/a>), a 5.3% peroxyacetic acid and 23.0% hydrogen peroxide product, we note that the concentration used for disinfection is 0.5-2.2 fl. oz. per gallon of water (230-1000 ppm of peroxyacetic acid in water) with a contact time of 10 minutes compared to the lower rate used for sanitizing (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/070299-00019-20190328.pdf#page=12\">p.10, \u201cSanitization of Food Contact Surfaces\u201d<\/a>) of 1.6-5.4 fl. oz. to 5 gallons water (147-500 ppm) with a 1 minute contact time and draining afterward. Later in the label, we find the postharvest water application to control cross contamination that we\u2019re most familiar with (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/070299-00019-20190328.pdf#page=22\">p. 20, \u201cTreatment of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Waters\u201d<\/a>) where the rate of use is 59.1-209.5 fl. oz. per 1000 gallons of water (27-96 ppm). Biosafe, the manufacturer of Sanidate, also <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/AG15-102_1-Post-Harvest-Rates-Usage.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">provides more specific and narrow PPM ranges<\/a> for wash water treatment when handling specific crops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tsunami Example:<\/strong> Reviewing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/001677-00164-20160504.pdf\">label for Tsunami 100<\/a>,  a 15.2% peroxyacetic acid and 11.2% hydrogen peroxide product, we note  that there is no labeled use as a disinfectant. The label guidance for  sanitization (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/001677-00164-20160504.pdf#page=5\">p.4, \u201cSanitizing Food Contact Surfaces\u201d<\/a>)  is 1.0 to 1.8 fl. oz. per 8 gallons water (1000-1800 ppm of product,  150-270 ppm of PAA) with a contact time of 1 minute with draining and air drying afterward. We also note that  the postharvest water application to control cross contamination that  we\u2019re most familiar with (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/001677-00164-20160504.pdf#page=3\">p. 2, \u201cFor Pathogen Reduction and Control in Fruit and Vegatable Processing Waters in Food Facilities\u201d<\/a>) has a rate of use of 2.5 to 6.7 fl. oz. per 100 gallons of water (30-80 ppm PAA).  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vigorox Example:<\/strong> Reviewing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/065402-00003-20161117.pdf\">label for Vigorox SP-15<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/065402-00003-20161117.pdf#page=7\">p.5 \u201cSurface Disinfection\u201d<\/a>),  a 15.0% peroxyacetic acid and 10.0% hydrogen peroxide product, we note  that the concentration used for disinfection is 0.5-2.2 fl. oz. per  gallon of water (230-1000 ppm of peroxyacetic acid in water) with a  contact time of 5 minutes with air drying compared to the lower rate used for sanitizing  (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/065402-00003-20161117.pdf#page=6\">p.4, \u201cSanitization of Non-Porous Food Contact Surfaces\u201d<\/a>)  of 3.1 fl. oz. to 50 gallons water (85 ppm PAA) with a contact time of 1 minute with air drying. The postharvest water application to control cross  contamination that we\u2019re most familiar with (<a href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/065402-00003-20161117.pdf#page=8\">p.6, \u201cFor Reducing Pathogenic Foodborne Bacteria in Processing Waters for Fruits and Vegetables\u201d<\/a>) where the rate of use is 0.54 fl. oz. per 16 gallons of water (45 ppm PAA). <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For help determining appropriate mixing rates for volumes other than those above, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/ageng.w3.uvm.edu\/sanitizer\/index.html\">sanitizer dose calculator available online<\/a>. For guidance about safely dispensing sanitizers, see <a href=\"http:\/\/go.uvm.edu\/sanitizerdispensers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"650\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0-1024x650.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4382\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0-1024x650.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0-768x488.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0-1536x975.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0-1568x996.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/Label-Comparisons-Sanitizing-and-Disinfecting-Common-Chemicals-2.0.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">   Table 1 \u2013 Summary of sanitizing chemicals commonly used on many farms  showing the differences in concentrations and contact time for the  different intended applications of produce wash water treatment,  sanitizing, and disinfecting. Based on review of EPA labels. Reference  the label for your specific product to confirm applications,  concentrations, and contact times. For help determining appropriate  mixing rates for volumes other than those above, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/ageng.w3.uvm.edu\/sanitizer\/index.html\">sanitizer dose calculator available online<\/a>. Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-silver-lighter-30-background-color has-background\"><strong>There&#8217;s a Range Listed on the Label! How Much Should I Use? <br \/><\/strong>The amount of sanitizer you use depends on the intended purpose. <br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Example:<\/span> Sanidate 5.0 is intended to be used at a concentration of 27-96 ppm according to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/pesticides\/chem_search\/ppls\/070299-00019-20190328.pdf#page=22\" target=\"_blank\">the label<\/a> when used for postharvest wash water treatment.&nbsp;This means a \u201cdose\u201d of 0.06-0.20 fl. oz. of Sanidate 5.0 per gallon of wash water. For leafy greens, Biosafe, the manufacturer of Sanidate, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2021\/11\/AG15-102_1-Post-Harvest-Rates-Usage.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">recommends 40-60 ppm<\/a> which means 0.10-0.14 fl. oz (roughly 1\/2 to 1.0 teaspoons) per gallon of water. Dosing at the high end of this range will provide extra sanitizer which is helpful since it gets used up during the wash cycle. You should confirm the concentration of sanitizer at the start and end of the wash cycle using test strips.&nbsp; Our <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/go.uvm.edu\/websanitizercalc\" target=\"_blank\">online dose calculator<\/a> may be helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stay safe! This video walks you through how to handle sanitizer safely <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Safely Dispensing Sanitizers | SCRUB\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cziG0qyxnnU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Share this post:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/go.uvm.edu\/clean-sanitize-disinfect\">http:\/\/go.uvm.edu\/clean-sanitize-disinfect<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Acknowledgements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This resource was developed as part of the Food Safety Outreach Program under grant number 2020-70020-33003 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and also funded, in part, by the USDA Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program through award LNE19-375 and by the Food and Drug Administration through The Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets via the Integrated Extension Educational Programming in Support of the VAAFM Produce Program Grant 02200-FSMA-2018-01. The views expressed in the publication do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Vermont Agency of Agriculture; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government or the State of Vermont. It is offered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category legally protected by federal or state law. This project was supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award 02200-FSMA-24-01 totaling $30,000 with 100 percent funded by FDA\/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA\/HHS, or the U.S. Government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a guide to understanding the differences between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. It is focused on produce farms and is motivated by current concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1174,"featured_media":4587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43530],"tags":[20145,6521],"class_list":["post-2710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washing-and-packing","tag-food-safety","tag-post-harvest","entry"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2020\/03\/IMG_1622-1-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/files\/2020\/03\/IMG_1622-1-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Chris Callahan","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/author\/cwcallah\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1174"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2710"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5941,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2710\/revisions\/5941"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cwcallah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}