2 November 2026

With so many animal hygiene products on the market, it can be difficult to decide which are the most effective and most suited to your particular application. Manufacturers’ claims such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘kills 99.9% of bacteria’, quoted levels of active ingredient and claims surrounding test methods can seem attractive, but how can you be sure that the claims are correct? 

The information below outlines key points to consider when assessing product claims and suitability.

Microbiological Testing and Data
We cannot visibly see a disinfectant working; therefore, we rely on microbiological efficacy testing to ascertain a disinfectant’s kill performance and its ability to reduce the microorganisms to a safe number. 

European Standard (EN) test methods are internationally recognised and used to prove that disinfectants and antiseptics work against specific microorganisms under defined conditions. They are important because they provide a recognised, repeatable way to show that a product has the required biocidal activity. Other test methods are recognised but must be supported by transparent data and test parameters. 

When looking at disinfectant efficacy, avoid claims such as “tested against,” or “complies to” as these don’t confirm that the product has actually passed the test. Instead, look for evidence-based wording, for example “passes EN 1657,” where the product has met the required performance criteria under the stated test conditions. 

Microorganism Reduction Rate
‘Kills 99.9% of bacteria’ is a claim which often appears on products, but is a reduction of 99.9% something to shout about?

EN test methods set a specific pass criteria, which is expressed as a log reduction, measuring the reduction in microorganisms on a surface. For example, tests involving vegetative bacteria require a greater than 5 log reduction, which is a reduction of 99.999%, for it to be considered a pass. Fungi/yeast, viruses, mycobacteria and bacterial spores require a greater than 4 log reduction, or 99.99%. A 99.9% kill rate would therefore be a fail on all relevant EN test methods. This is significant, because the difference between 99.99% and 99.9% is a ten-fold - 10,000 microorganisms surviving on the surface, or 1,000. 

Evans Vanodine provides a microbiological profile for each disinfectant which details efficacy test results showing the organism, use dilution, test method and test parameters. These quick view profiles can be backed up by accredited test reports conducted in our UKAS registered microbiology laboratory, which is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 quality standard. 

Biocidal Product Authorisation (BPR)
Any disinfectant product claiming to be a ‘Biocide’ or making disinfection or a biocidal claim is subject to the marketing and labelling regulations for biocides and must not contain claims which cannot be substantiated. The BPR is a multi-decade process within the UK and EU [including Northern Ireland where some disinfectants are already subject to the regulation and some products are yet to be submitted for authorisation.  To find out which products are authorised, for GB and NI, you can search a list on the HSE authorised biocidal products webpage. In Europe, you can search for the information on biocides ECHA page. These include information such as the product name, the company who holds the authorisation, the status and start and end dates. The product should display an authorisation number on the label if it is a Biocide according to the BPR. 

Environmental Claims    
Products sold in the UK should follow the Competition and Marketing Authorities (CMA) Green Claims Code. 

There are 6 rules when making green claims:

• Be truthful and accurate: Businesses must live up to the claims they make about their products, services, brands and activities.
• Be clear and unambiguous: The meaning that a consumer is likely to take from a product’s messaging and the credentials of that product should match.
• Not omit or hide important information: Claims must not prevent someone from making an informed choice because of the information they leave out.
• Only make fair and meaningful comparisons: Any products compared should meet the same needs or be intended for the same purpose.
• Consider the full life cycle of the product: When making claims, businesses must consider the total impact of a product or service. Claims can be misleading where they don’t reflect the overall impact or where they focus on one aspect of it but not another.
• Be substantiated: Businesses should be able to back up their claims with robust, credible and up to date evidence.

When trying to verify green claims the company making the claims should have be able to provide all the substantiated evidence if it is not already readily available. 
Under the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) within Article 69 there are also anti-greenwashing rules, biocidal products are not allowed to be described as “natural,” “eco-friendly,” “bio,” or “green.” 

Level of Active Ingredients
All disinfectants must state the level of active ingredient on the label and in supporting documentation.  It can be misleading however if the active level is quoted as a percentage of the concentration of the solution, rather than as a percentage of the active itself.  For example, if an ingredient is supplied to the manufacturer as a 20% solution, quoting 1% solution gives an active content of 0.2% as it is 1% of a 20% solution. If the percentage of the solution is not disclosed, it is impossible for a customer to know the actual active content, and they may assume it is much higher than it is. 

Knowing what to look for and what questions to ask can avoid costly mistakes and ensure that you can be confident that products meet their efficacy claims.