Are Microban-Protected Products Safe to Use?

Consumer safety is a fundamental concern for Microban. Each of our antimicrobial technologies have undergone extensive independent laboratory testing and have a long history of safe use, across a wide range of product types. The biocidal active components of Microban® formulations are notified with the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) No 528/2012 and registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Are Microban Antimicrobials Safe to Use in Products?

Risk assessments by independent scientists, scientific bodies and governmental agencies (including EPA, FDA and regulatory authorities in Europe and Canada) are intended to evaluate the impact of antimicrobials on human health and safety. These assessments have consistently reconfirmed that Microban antimicrobial additives are safe to use in various consumer, industrial and medical products. The size and specific biological systems of microorganisms make them susceptible to antimicrobial agents at levels of exposure that are not harmful to human health.

Microban antimicrobial additives are built into products at the stage of manufacture. Unlike disinfectants or liquid antibacterial soaps, this helps to prevent consumer exposure to the biocide or transmission directly into the environment.

FIFRA (EPA) Regulations

Regardless of whether antimicrobial technology is incorporated within a product during manufacturing or applied to a finished product, it is classified by the EPA as a pesticide since it prevents the growth of microorganisms. You can learn more about the EPA's regulation of antimicrobial pesticides, including those that are integrated during manufacturing, on their website.

ECHA (BPR) Regulations

Similarly, the European Chemicals Agency, or ECHA, classifies antimicrobial products as biocidal products, meaning they are intended to “protect humans, animals, materials, or articles against harmful organisms like pests or bacteria, by the action of the active substances contained in the biocidal product.” You can explore European regulations associated with biocidal products in treated articles on the ECHA website.

Additional Regulatory Bodies

For textiles, we also go through the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, which is an independent testing and certification system for textiles. This process goes deeper than federal laws do, holding our textiles to a higher standard for the safety of consumers.

Additionally, we utilize the bluesign® system which regulates the environmental impact of production for textiles. This means that products with Microban protection are not only safe for your home, but safe for the environment as well.

No matter where your company operates, we ensure proper registration and approval of our technologies for their specific use so that it is clear that products featuring Microban antimicrobial protection are safe to use for all end-users.

Other Concerns

Do Antimicrobials Cause Resistant Strains of Microorganisms?

After more than 36 years of use in numerous consumer, industrial and medical applications around the world, there has been no evidence of microorganisms developing a resistance to Microban technologies. Although the terms “antibiotic” and “antimicrobial” are often interchanged, there is not a relationship between antibiotic resistance and built-in antimicrobial protection.

READ THE BLOG: EMBEDDED ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE EXPLAINED

In conclusion, the answer to the question, “Are Products Featuring Microban Technology Safe to Use?” is YES. Contact us today to learn more about and effective Microban technologies and their applications!