Testing disinfectants for virucidal efficacy, a daily job at Eurofins!

Alessandro Radici, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing, AlessandroRadici@eurofins.com

Disinfectant products have become pervasive in our daily lives as a result of COVID-19, being used much more widely and frequently than before. Demand for such products has increased significantly in all geographies, as have testing requirements. Proving efficacy of virucidal products, through validated and internationally recognised test methods, is essential in supporting manufacturers’ regulatory requirements and marketing efforts. Eurofins has supported manufacturers for more than 15 years through these processes, providing extended consultancy and testing services.

In response to increasing global demand for virucidal testing services in the wake of COVID-19, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing Italy (Eurofins BTP Italy) has expanded its virucidal testing capacity with the opening of a dedicated laboratory, in its Milan campus. The laboratory will carry out efficacy testing and studies on disinfectant products, materials with antiviral properties, and devices for disinfection or sanitisation of air or surfaces.

Delivered in just three months, the 400 square meters BioSafety Level 2 laboratory is now fully complete and running, and all required staff and scientists were recruited and trained in parallel with construction, to allow for operations to commence at the beginning of December 2020.

The laboratory hosts ISO 17025 accredited tests and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) studies to assess and demonstrate the general virucidal activity (against enveloped and/or non-enveloped viruses) of products and determine efficacy levels against viruses such as COVID-19 or Influenza. Tests are performed following international validated standards and guidance: CEN, ISO, ASTM and OECD.

With eight biohazard virucidal workstations and cell culture manipulation testing equipment, the laboratory increases Eurofins BPT Italy’s virucidal study capacity from 40 to more than 100 studies per month. The laboratory has been designed in such a way that will allow for further expansion to double testing study capacity as and when required. It has also been designed to facilitate current COVID-19 social distancing health and safety measures. For more information, visit: www.eurofins.com/consumer-product-testing/covid-19-product-testing/disinfectants/