Are Hand Sanitizers Effective at Removing Food Allergens From Hands?

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How do really hand sanitizers work?

Everyone is familiar with hand sanitizers, they are seen frequently in businesses all over the country, but do you know how hand sanitizers actually work? Simply put, hand sanitizer is designed to kill germs. It works as an effective way to promote hand hygiene whenever access to water and hand soap is limited or unavailable. It is important to note that cleaning and sanitizing are different processes, washing hands is the most common cleaning process, using water and soap to remove pathogens and allergens from the hands, while sanitizers use alcohol and other antimicrobial elements to kill pathogens or allergens, neutralizing them but leaving dead cells on the hands.

Interested in learning how soap works? Learn more here

Hand sanitizers are not effective in removing food allergens from hands

AdobeStock_189107037Eliminating allergens from food contact surfaces or employees' hands is crucial to avoiding potential cross-contamination. However, hand sanitizer alone is not adequate for removing allergens. Hand sanitizer is effective at reducing the amount of allergen protein found on the hands but doesn't completely remove the allergen proteins, these remaining proteins on the hands after the sanitizers can be a cause of cross contamination.

In alcohol-based sanitizers, the alcohol disrupts the outer membranes of microorganisms like bacteria and viruses, making them inactive or killing them. However, this does not occur with allergens such as peanut, egg, or dairy proteins. Allergens have stable molecules that lack the cellular structure of viruses and bacteria, which alcohol in sanitizers can disrupt. Therefore, sanitizers do not affect the structure or ability of allergens to trigger an allergic reaction.

Research has shown that liquid soap, bar soap, and commercial wipes are highly effective in eliminating peanut allergens from hands. In contrast, plain water and antibacterial hand sanitizer left detectable levels of peanut allergens on 3 out of 12 and 6 out of 12 hands, respectively. It is important to follow proper handwashing procedures that stress the use of soap and water, as plain water and hand sanitizers are not effective in removing food allergens.

Read the FDA Food Code to learn more about allergen removal and minimizing allergen transfer

Hand washing is the only effective way to remove allergens

Thorough handwashing with soap and water is the sole method to guarantee the removal of allergens and minimize the risk of cross-contamination. In food production and service environments, this practice is crucial to prevent one allergen from contaminating other foods, thereby safeguarding customers.

Three EVO Wall Installation Photo Food Processing

Meritech's CleanTech® Automated Handwashing Stations are clinically validated to remove more than 99.9% of pathogens AND allergens from employees hands. These handwashing stations ensure that when employees are moving from one food product to another, they are not bringing trace allergen proteins that could lead to a cross contamination event. 

Explore the clinical validation and allergen removal efficacy of CleanTech®

Topics:Cross Contamination