EPA approves Byotrol sanitiser in the US

Specialist anti-microbial technology company Byotrol announced on Tuesday that the US EPA had formally approved Byotrol's proprietary 24-hour germ-kill surface sanitiser for sale in the US.

The AIM-traded firm said the formulation had been under development at Byotrol for over seven years, and the directors believed it offered “unique performance characteristics” to US consumers and businesses.

To those consumers, Byotrol said its products would be able to “claim high performance cleaning” and virucidal action, plus long-lasting benefits such as 24-hour surface protection against bacteria, a product scientifically proven to kill more than 99.9% of bacteria for 24 hours, seven day mold and mildew prevention, and the elimination of over 99.9% of viruses.

The directors said they were not aware of any other cleaning or sanitizing products that could make such claims for US consumers, and as such they believed the approval gave Byotrol a “unique opportunity” in the “substantial” US market.

To US businesses, Byotrol said the formulation would be positioned to offer cost-benefits, such as higher infection control for less chemical use and decreased absenteeism from work.

The EPA had specifically approved the product's use - and the 24-hour claim - in domestic households, travel and leisure, janitorial and sanitation environments, pet and vet environments and all non-food contact surfaces.

It said the product had also been approved for use as a surface sanitiser in hospital environments.

Byotrol said it had been exploring alliances and commercial opportunities with various US organisations since the application was made to the EPA, with Tuesday's approval set to accelerate those discussions.

“We are very excited to gain this registration,” said chief executive David Traynor.

“This project is one of 3 core R&D initiatives in the Company, so its successful conclusion is a very significant moment for us.

“We are not aware of any product in the US market that can make competing 24-hour germ-kill claims, yet we are very confident that such claims are valued by both consumers and business users in markets that we estimate in retail alone total over $1bn.”