Singapore sets national standards for antimicrobial disinfectants

Singapore Standard 705 set first-of-its-kind assessment testing the effectiveness of antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral product’s potency to be Singapore-developed

Singapore has set a national standard for its antimicrobial market  to bolster public health and industry regulation in the expanding marketplace for disinfectants.

Developed by the Duke-NUS Centre of Regulatory Excellence – in collaboration with the Standards Development Organisation (CoRE-SDO) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), through the Singapore Standards Council (SSC) – its Singapore Standard 705 (SS 705) provides for a science-based methodology to assess the effectiveness and durability of antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral disinfectants and coatings for surface use.

SS 705 will give manufacturers a credible framework to validate their products, and it will also offer regulators a consistent set of measurement reference points with which to assess and monitor quality. In addition, consumers with be able to have confidence that these products will work well and safely in their homes, workplaces and communities. The market for antimicrobial products is expected to reach US$65.7 billion, globally, by 2035.

SS 705 is applicable for surface disinfectants and coatings on non-porous materials, and will include plastics, metal and ceramics¹ with testing covering methodology for microbe selection, culture preparation and results analysis.

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“Standardised testing methods like SS 705 are crucial in ensuring the reliability of antimicrobial coatings.

“With clear guidelines, manufacturers can effectively validate product performance, including durability and stability, offering businesses and consumers greater confidence in the solutions provided,” said Dr Lim Kaiyang, manager, Research, Development and Application (APAC), Corbion, who led the committee which drafted the standard.

Producers of surface disinfectants will therefore be able to give quality assurances that their products meet performance claims under SS 705. Industry regulators will also be able to use SS 705 to establish a baseline level of testing standardisation to explore industry benchmarking and regulation. 

“With the increasing use of antimicrobial coatings in public and healthcare spaces, it is important to have a rigorous and standardised approach to assess their durability and effectiveness.

“SS 705 sets a clear, standardised way to assess how long antimicrobial coatings remain effective on surfaces they are applied to.

"This helps regulators, manufacturers, and consumers make more informed choices to enhance protection of public health,” added Professor John Lim, executive director of the Centre of Regulatory Excellence at Duke-NUS.

SS 705 was developed by the Working Group on Antimicrobial Protection, which comprised representation from the Government of Singapore, local industry associations, testing and certification bodies, research institutions and industry stakeholders.

Clarification

¹ NB. SS 705 excludes textiles.