Disinfectants are powerful tools for preventing the spread of infectious diseases within health care facilities, publicly accessible buildings, and at home. In the United States, disinfectant use is regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Before a disinfectant can be registered for use and subsequently distributed, manufacturers must submit data regarding the safety and efficacy of the disinfectant.

For evaluating the performance of spray formulations (pump, trigger, aerosols), the EPA has provided the Standard Operating Procedure for Germicidal Spray Products as Disinfectants (GSPT): Testing of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella enterica (SOP Number: MB-06-10). This EPA standard operating procedure (SOP) defines the methodology and recommended test microorganisms for use in the testing of germicidal spray products as disinfectants on hard surfaces. In this SOP, the EPA outlines the use of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), and Salmonella enterica (ATCC 10708) obtained directly from ATCC for use as test strains.

At ATCC, we are proud to be a part of the essential testing needed to keep our community safe from harmful bacterial pathogens. We know that the validity of any microbial-based assay is dependent upon minimally passaged, fully characterized reference materials. That's why we have made it a priority to meticulously characterize and preserve our cultures in a manner that permits reproducibility of results across time and among laboratories.

ATCC is committed to raising the standards for credibility in the life sciences. Our cultures are developed under ISO 9001 certified and ISO/IEC 17025 accredited processes, and they are carefully authenticated, managed, and preserved using protocols that maintain the genotype and phenotype. At the heart of our preservation protocols is the seed stock concept. We utilize this methodology to ensure that our preserved cultures remain as close as possible to the original culture. This preservation method ensures that our strains are minimally passaged, thus reducing the likelihood of contamination, genetic drift, mutation, and phenotypic variation.