Method and sporicidal compositions for synergistic disinfection or sterilization

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A method of disinfecting and sanitizing fowl eggs comprising contacting said eggs with a sufficient amount of a composition to disinfect and sanitize comprising from about 0.
02% to about 5% of glutaraldehyde and from about 0.
01% to 1% of a nonionic surface active agent which is an ethoxylate of isomeric linear alcohols having the following formula: ##EQU2## wherein n is 9 to 13 and x is 9 to 13.
2.
The method of claim 1 wherein the composition contains at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water and lower alcohol.
3.
The method of claim 2 wherein the composition contains a sufficient quantity of a lower alkanol to make a final alcoholic concentration of from about 60% to about 75%.
4.
The method of claim 1 wherein the eggs are contacted with the composition by dipping the eggs in the composition.
5.
The method of claim 1 wherein the eggs are contacted with the composition by spraying the eggs with the composition.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method for disinfecting or sterilizing objects in liquid phase with improved chemosterilizer compositions.
The method object of our invention is based upon the synergistic sporicidal effects observed when using relatively moderate temperatures combined or not combined with ultrasonic irradiation in specially formulated sporicidal compositions.
The latter are based upon active combinations of glutaraldehyde with nonionic surfactants such as ethoxylates or isomeric linear alcohols (C.
sub.
11 to C.
sub.
15) or anionic alkyl aryl sulfonates.
Through a proper choice of temperatures, acoustic energy density and chemical composition, the method object of the present invention enables reducing from hours to minutes the time requirements for surface disinfection or sterilization of heat sensitive materials.
Low temperature surface sterilization in liquid phase has been limited in the past to the use of two chemosterilizer agents: formaldehyde and alkaline glutaraldehyde solutions