Norovirus Alcohol Hand Sanitizer

Breakthrough Norovirus-effective Formulation Now Commercially Available

The use of Food Code compliant alcohol hand sanitizers in Foodservice has been suppressed for years by relatively low effectiveness on their number one cause of foodborne outbreaks, norovirus. Formulations deploying new synergists potentiate the alcohol base and more than triple its predesessor products' effectiveness. It is more than 10 times more effective than the thin liquid versions. The foodservice market now has a very effective and convenient option which is also skin friendly.

The scientists at GOJO^® in collaboration with Dr. Moe at Emory University and Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus at North Carolina State found ways to improve laboratory testing with this lab-unfriendly "non-enveloped" virus and develop formulations that work.

This first generation product was known commercially as Purell^® VF-447. Now this Food Code compliant option is known as VF-481 and is formulated on a base of 70% ethyl alcohol.

Those operators most devastated by norovirus outbreaks, including cruise lines and casinos, are among the early adopters.

The innovative research advancements at Emory University resulted in an NSF Leadership Award for their lead scientist, Dr. Christine Moe. She was presented the prestigious award March 18, 2008, at the Food Safety Summit in Washington DC.

Research from both Emory and North Carolina State is summarized on posters avilable below for downloading. For best reading we recommend printing in an 11" x 17" format.