In this era of high health concerns, where antibacterial products are heavily marketed, consumers tend to look at the antibacterial tests of products when they are selected, however, there is a misunderstanding among many that antibacterial tests focus only on the bacterial extinction of the product ‘ s surface. This misperception makes it difficult for people to really identify the strengths and weaknesses of the product when they select antibacterial supplies, and may even cause health risks.
It is undeniable that the antibacterial capacity of product surfaces is an important part of the detection. In the case of daily anti-bacterial foods, for example, foods such as dishes and chopsticks are exposed directly to food on their surfaces, and if they do not effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria such as coli and yellow grapes, they can easily cause cross-contaminated foods and cause intestinal diseases. The laboratory usually simulates the humid environment after food residues have been contaminated and the utensils have been washed, in which a certain concentration of bacteria is inoculated on the table of the meal and the survival of the bacteria after a certain period of time is observed to determine the surface resistance of the meal. A qualified antibacterial meal can significantly reduce bacterial survival and provide food security under such simulated conditions.
But it would be a big mistake to think that antibacterial testing only stops here. Indeed, for many products, internal antibacterial performance is equally critical. For example, antibacterial mattresses, which sweat during sleep and fall out of skin, can easily penetrate into the mattress and provide “hotbeds” for bacteria and mites. If only the mattress surface is antibacterial and neglects the internal filling material, bacteria are proliferating in-house, which not only creates a bad smell but can also cause skin allergies and respiratory infections. Specialized tests remove mattresses and take separate samples of internal parts such as sponges and springs to detect bacteria ‘ growth in these areas and ensure antibacterial effects from the surface and inside.
This is even more so in the medical field. In the case of implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers, artificial joints, which, once implanted in the human body, do not contain bacteria on the surface that cause the infection, but the internal growth of bacteria has consequences that are not conceivable. As the human body is a warm, wet and nutritious environment, “excellent” conditions for bacterial reproduction are created. Thus, antibacterial testing not only simulates the human fluid environment in order to test the surface of the instrument, but also detects, through special technical means, the potential for bacterial growth in the hidden parts of the device, such as cracks, holes, etc., in order to fully guarantee the sterileness and safety of the medical device.
Tests are more complex for products with special structures or functions, such as antibacterial air cleaners with filtering functions. In addition to the antibacterial surfaces of the purifier, a number of indicators are to be examined, such as the interdiction of bacteria by filtration materials, their extinction capacity and the amount of bacteria left in the air after filtration. Because, if filters are not effective against bacteria, bacteria accumulate and breed on the filter, they become a new source of bacterial contamination, which endangers human health by redispersing the air as it is cleaned.
Consumers caught in the wrong zone of “face-to-face” may choose products that appear to be anti-bacterial, increase the risk of family infection in home-based settings and endanger even life safety in critical areas such as health care, public health and so forth. In order to get out of the wrong area, consumers should look at the product’s detailed examination report to see if it covers both internal and overall antibacterial performance assessments. Regulatory authorities need to regulate antibacterial testing standards, explicitly requiring enterprises to fully detect the antibacterial capability of the product, and to ensure that the results reflect the full range of antibacterial effects of the product and that antibacterial products are truly health-care.
