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FAQ Sections: A. Hygiene B. Environment C. Liquid soap D. Foam soap E. General A. Hygiene: A1. Why is hand hygiene important? Good hygiene has enormously beneficial effects on our health, quality of life and in extending our lifespan. Since about 80%* of infections are spread via the hands, hand hygiene plays a vital role in maintaining our health. According to the highly respected CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) hand washing is the simplest, most effective and inexpensive way to prevent the spread of infectious bacteria and to achieve clean safe hands. *University Michigan, Infection Control & Epidemiology, 2009, www.med.umich.edu/ice/info.htm A2. Why use soap? Washing your hands in water alone will not remove all the dirt and bacteria on them. Soap, when mixed with water creates a lather, which efficiently breaks up and dissolves dirt, oils and fats. It also, in combination with rubbing the hands, lifts bacteria up from the skin, suspending them in the water allowing them to be easily rinsed away. A3. What type of soap is preferred and why? Liquid and foam soaps are easier to dispense, easier to apply on the hands, are neat and clean, have controlled dosage and are easy to use. High quality soaps not only remove dirt and pathogens, they also contain ingredients which moisturize the skin and help maintain the natural ph balance. A smooth healthy skin surface will have fewer bacteria than irritated skin (Wilson M. Microbial inhabitants of humans their ecology and role in health and disease. Chapter 2. Cambridge Univeristy Press, ISBN 0 521 84158 5. 2005.). All Tork soaps achieved good results in dermatological testing and have a ph value close to normal skin making them kind to the hands. Hand washing effectively removes potentially disease causing micro organisms but leaves your own bacteria flora intact. A4. How to clean your hands? Recommended hand washing and drying routine: 1) Wet your hands with clean warm* water 2) Apply soap 3) Rub your hands together and scrub all surfaces for at least 15 seconds 4) Rinse hands under clean water 5) Dry hands thoroughly with a paper towel** Soap lathers better with warm water ** Redway K.Report and presentations for the European Tissue Symposium (ETS).2008. 2
Alcohol based sanitizers Alcohol based sanitizers are a good complement to hand washing. They can be useful for example when soap and water are not available, but also in hygiene sensitive environments. Professional health care workers like them because they are effective, gentle to the hands and take less time than handwashing. But, remember, sanitizers do not remove dirt. You should always wash your hands with liquid soap and water if there is visible dirt, after contact with blood or after using the toilet; since sanitizers do not clean the hands of organic material they only disinfect them. A5. Is washing with soap enough? Drying your hands is just as important as washing them with soap. Bacteria love warm, moist hands since they provide the ideal conditions for rapid growth. If your hands are wet it is also much easier to pick up bacteria through contact with objects or by shaking hands. You will also leave many more bacteria on the surfaces you touch. Only clean dry hands are safe hands. Effective hand drying Hygiene institutes, including WHO*, widely recommend single use paper towels to dry your hands. Paper towels are preferred because they dry the hands quickly and mechanically remove residual soil and bacteria. *WHO 2009, WHO/IER/PSP/2009.07 Frequently washed hands In hygiene sensitive environments, such as healthcare and food preparation, hands need to be washed more frequently. This can lead to the skin becoming overly dry, so lotions can help to protect and moisturize the skin. A6. Why sealed systems are best? The purity of Tork soaps is assured through the sealed cartridge systems. The one-time-use pump and refill cartridge avoid accidental contamination during the refill or use. Recent research found 25% of open refillable soap dispensers tested in public washrooms to be contaminated with bacteria, whilst none of the sealed systems tested were contaminated.* Particularly in healthcare environments sealed cartridge systems are becoming mandatory in order to reduce the risk of contamination. The new Tork sealed system makes life easier, as refilling can be completed within a few seconds! *Source: Dr. Charles P. Gerba, University of Arizona, 2007. A7. Why is the ph of soap important? Healthy skin s ph is normally between 4.5 and 6.0, which is slightly acidic compared to the neutral ph of 7. Skin ph has a fundamental role in the defence against unwanted bacteria. Maintaining the natural skin ph contributes to the optimal functioning of the skin barrier. The entire new Tork assortment has a ph value in the same range as normal skin in order to maintain the skin s natural balance. A8. What does dermatological test mean? Dermatology testing means that the product has been tested and evaluated by a professional dermatologist. The highly respected institute ProDERM tests all of the Tork products. Additionally, the Tork range of hand cleaning & care products are only ever tested on human skin. 3
During the dermatology test our liquid soap products are diluted with water and a sample is applied to human skin for 24 hours. Then the sample is removed and the skin reaction evaluated in two steps, after 24 and after 48 hours. Stay on products, like alcohol gel and lotions, are not diluted, and a 100% concentration is used for the test sample which is then evaluated in the same way as soap. The results of the tests show that all Tork formulations are very gentle to the skin. A9. What is the difference between soap and soap designated as anti-bacterial? It is important to remember that many of the dangerous bacteria are removed from your hands when you wash them using high quality soap and dry them with paper hand towels. Health institutions consider that for everyday applications, such as office and public washrooms, normal soap provides a perfectly sufficient anti-bacterial effect. All hand washing with soap has an antibacterial effect. Soap designated as anti-bacterial contains specific ingredients that have a proven extra anti-bacterial effect. This extra effect can be needed in situations where hands may be heavily contaminated e.g. health care personnel. To evaluate and verify the extra high antibacterial effect certain Tork products have been tested and conform to European Standards, EN 1499 and EN 1500. EN 1499, the hygienic hand wash standard, proves better reduction of bacteria when hand washing using antibacterial soap and water as compared to washing with a nonmedicated soap. EN 1500, the hygienic hand rub standard, proves the same or better reduction of bacteria as a 70% isopropanol hand sanitizer. If a product is sold as a cosmetic under the cosmetic directive it must not be called antibacterial or disinfectant. Even a soap fulfilling the norm EN 1499 must not be called antibacterial soap if it is sold as a cosmetic. A10. Is ph neutral and ph close to skin the same thing? Neutral ph is 7,0 according to scientific definition of the ph scale. On the skin ph vary and on hands ph is about 4,5 with wide individual variations, this means a skin neutral ph for hands is 4,5. A11. What is the difference between virus and bacteria? Most viruses are much smaller than bacteria. They are often 10 to 100 times smaller than bacteria. The biggest difference between viruses and bacteria is that viruses must have a living host - like a plant or animal - to multiply, while most bacteria can grow on their own. Antibiotics can kill bacteria but not viruses. An example of a disease caused by bacteria is strep throat and an example of an affliction caused by a virus is the influenza. Many common diseases in the community are caused by viruses Hand sanitizers containing alcohol are efficient microbe killers. Alcohol rub sanitizers kill bacteria, multi-drug resistant bacteria (MRSA and VRE) and some viruses (including HIV, herpes, RSV, influenza, and hepatitis B & C) and some fungus. Alcohol sanitizers are less effective on non-lipophilic virus/ including hepatitis A and norovirus) and in-effective against spores. Alcohol rub sanitizers containing 70% alcohol kill 3.5 log10 (99.9%) of problem bacteria on hands 30 seconds after application. Tork Premium Hand sanitizer Alcohol Gel has a proven effect on bacteria approved according European Norm test EN 1500. Tork Antibacterial soap has not been tested for virus compared to a regular soap. Tork Premium Extra Hygiene HD has a proven effect on bacteria approved in European Norm test EN 1040 and EN 1499. A12. How can hand washing and drying help minimize spread of virus, such as swine flu? Washing and drying and mechanically remove both bacteria and virus from the hands, effectively reducing your risk of infection or transmission*. 4
To wash your hands often with regular soap, and dry them thoroughly, for example with a single use towel, is the standard hand hygiene recommendation from most government health authorities, including CDC and FDA*. In general washrooms there are no need for any particular antibacterial soaps. If available, alcohol based products can be used as supplement during epidemics or a substitute when no easy access to soap and water is available. Alcohol based hand rubs should not replace soap, water and drying with single use towels, as they do not remove dirt and do not have adequate effect against certain pathogens, which is important to get rid of viruses and bacteria. You should wash your hands often: After arriving at work or coming home. Before meals or preparing food. After visiting the toilet. After sneezing. Before preparing food. Before and after visiting a sick person. When hands are visibly dirty. *CDC and FDA CDC Clean hands save lives page http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/ accessed 24/04/2013 FDA: Retail Food Protection: Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook accessed on http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/retailfoodprotection/industryandregulatoryassistance andtrainingresources/ucm113827.htm A13. Some of the new Tork soap formulations actively replenish not only skin moisture but also skin lipids, what is this extra feature lipid replenishing? Tork liquid soap Mild, Extra Mild, Luxury Soft and Industrial contain glyceryl oleate, this is a natural human skin lipid which is a perceivable lipid layer enhancer. This has a positive effect on skin mildness, smoothness and skin moisture. By replenishing the skin s protective layer it keeps the skin soft and smooth using the skin s own oils. A smooth healthy skin surface is less likely to pick up dirt or unwanted micro organisms compared to a dry/un-healthy skin surface. A14. Is the Toilet Seat Cleaner efficient towards bacteria? Yes, the Tork Premium Toilet Seat Cleaner is approved according to EN 1040 meaning that is has limited antibacterial action. This feature improves the comfort level for the user but shall not be misused and interpreted as toilet seat disinfection, 100% bacteria-free cleaning or similar! The Toilet Seat Cleaner is a detergent product and antibacterial claims shall not be used. In addition to this the Toilet Seat Cleaner is also approved in a dermatology test. A15. Are Alco based hand rubs effective on viruses like norovirus causing the stomach flu? Viruses can be divided into two main groups: Enveloped and Non-Enveloped viruses. Many enveloped viruses, including many influenza viruses, can be destroyed by alcohol. Alcohol based products are a good tool to use in combating transmission of this type of virus. Non-enveloped viruses are much more difficult to destroy; many can only be inactivated by very harsh chemicals not suitable for use on the skin. Most enveloped viruses are not destroyed by alcohols. They require long contact time of high concentration for good effect. Many common disease causing viruses including hepatitis A and norovirus (stomach flu) are Non- Enveloped where alcohol has little or no effect. To protect yourself against this type of virus, washing hands with soap and water followed by drying with a paper towel is a better choice then to just rub hands with an alcohol based sanitizer. Washing and drying mechanically removes these organisms from the hands. The Tork Premium Antimicrobial Foam Cleanser is a soap and sanitizer combined. Using the product gives efficacy towards several microbes as proven in EN test studies at the same time as washing away dirt and microbes not sensitive to alcohol. 5
A16. Log reduction what is it? The number of bacteria is often expressed in log units. In Europe, disinfectants should be tested using European Standard Test Methods. According to these tests the reduction has to be at least 99,999% (a 5 log reduction) to qualify a substance as a disinfectant. A17. I have heard about antibacterial soap, but what is an Antimicrobial soap? Bacteria, virus and fungi are all microbes. An antibacterial soap is only effective on bacteria where an antimicrobial product is effective also on virus and fungi. Antimicrobial products can be specified as bactericide, virucide or fungicide. A18. What does all these EN codes and efficacy claims mean? Bactericidal effect: EN 1040 Quantitative suspension test for the evaluation of basic bactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Principle: A sample of the test product is added to a test suspension of bacteria. The bacteria reduction after 5 min is measured. Requirement for passing test: log 5 reduction of bacteria Test bacteria: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus EN 1499 Hygienic hand wash Principle: Test simulating practical conditions. The amount of bacteria released from finger tips of artificially contaminated hands is measured before and after hygienic hand wash for 30s or 60s Requirement for passing test: Mean reduction same or higher than with a reference hand wash with Kali soap. Test bacteria: E Coli EN 1276 Bactericidal effect in quantitative suspension test for products used in food, industrial, domestic and institutional areas. Principle: A sample of the test product is added to a suspension containing bacteria. The bactericidal activity is measured after 5 min. Requirement for passing test: log 5 reduction in bactericidal activity Test organisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus hirae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli EN 14348 Quantitative suspension test for the evaluation of mycobactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants in the medical area including instruments disinfectants Principle: A suspension with the test organism is added to the product. The bactericidal activity is measured after 60 min. Requirement for passing test: log 4 reduction in bactericidal activity. Test organisms: mycobacterial activity: Mycobacterium avivum and Mycobacterium terrae tubercolicidal activity: Mycobacterium terrae EN 1500 Hygenic handrub Principle: Test simulating practical conditions. The amount of bacteria released from finger tips of artificially contaminated hands is measured before and after hygienic hand rub for 30s or 60s Requirement for passing test: Mean reduction same or higher than with a reference handrub with 60% Propanol Test bacteria: E Coli 6
Yesticidal effect: T O R K HAND CLEANING FAQ S GUIDE EN 1275 Quantitative suspension test for the evaluation of basic fungicidal or basic yeasticidal activity Principle: A sample of a test product is added to a suspension containing fungus or yeast. The reduction of fungicidal/yeasticidal activity is measured after a specified time. Requirement for passing test : log 4 reduction in yeasticidal or fungicidal activity Test organism fungicidal activity: Candida Albicans and Aspergillus niger (Aspergillus brasiliensis) yeasticidal activity: Candida Albicans DGHM test (Deutsche Gesselschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie e. V) Principle: Yeasticidal and bactericidal effect in quantitative suspension test o Test organisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus hirae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida Albicans Bactericidal effect in hygienic hand (EN1499) wash or hygienic hand rub (EN1500) Limited virucidal effect (RKI/DVI): Guideline of DVV and RKI for testing the virucidal efficacy of chemical disinfectants in the human medical area o Principle: A suspension of a test virus is added to the test product. The reduction in virucidal activity after a specified contact time is measured. o Requirement for passing test: log 4 reduction in virucidal activity. o Test organisms: Vaccinia and Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus (enveloped viruses) o The DVV/RKI test incldes enveloped viruses only. Alcohol based products are generally not efficient against non enveloped viruses. o According to RKI/DVV guidelines, successful result against the test viruses makes it possible to claim: Limited virucidal activity against enveloped viruses like HBV, HIV, HCV, Herpes simplex, SARS and human influenza virus A19: What is the diff between weight and volume %? The amount of alcohol in a sanitizer can be measured either by The number of milliliters alcohol per 100 ml of sanitizer (volume %) or The number of grams of alcohol per 100g of sanitizer (weight %). Since alcohol is less dense than water, the weight % will be lower than the volume %. The conversion factor between the two types of measurement depends on the temperature at which the sanitizer was mixed and on the other (non-water) ingredients, however the weight percent can be estimated rather well by multiplying the volume percent by about 0.8. A20: How much alcohol do you need? A minimum of 70% total alcohol (ethanol + isopropanol + propanol) is required for sales to healthcare in most countries. A volume percent of between 70-85% is generally considered an optimum for best antibacterial action, higher percentages tend to have better effect on viruses, but are harsher against skin. A21: How much alcohol do we have in Tork sanitizer? Tork contains a total of 70% (weight percent) alcohol, 65% ethanol and 5% isopropanol. This corresponds to a volume percent of about 75%. See the presentation "Perfectly Clean" 7
B. Environment: T O R K HAND CLEANING FAQ S GUIDE B1. Is the new Tork offer environmentally friendly? Chemical such as cosmetics should not be referred to as environmentally friendly as they are not directly appreciated by the environment. Still eco labelling organisations are there to guide customers to a better choice of products by labelling. Products marked with environmental labels are among the least hazardous of it s kind to the environment. Therefore it is ok to claim that environmentally approved products are better for the environment. The new Tork range minimizes the impact on the environment and provides you with an excellent sustainable choice for your hand hygiene products: The dispenser system prevents overuse by supplying only 1ml per push. The refill cartridge is made up of recyclable plastic and contains less plastic than the old bottle. The refill cartridge reduces in volume up to 70%, which means less waste. All Tork soaps and lotions are eco-labelled, which means they are reviewed and approved towards very high environmental standards set by eco-label organisations, such as the EUflower or the Nordic Swan. B2. Why can you not refill the bottle?, I think it is bad for the environment to through away the empty bottle each time. The new cartridge system is made of recyclable material (PE). One empty cartridge consists of 57 gram of polyethylene (MDPE and HDPE) which can be recycled as one piece according to local country recommendations. The low content of packaging material in relation to the content of liquid inside is evaluated towards general market of products by the EU-flower and found to be better than market average. Keeping packaging waste low is one key requirement of the EU flower eco label and if the transport carton and the empty cartridge is recycled correctly it leaves zero waste harmful to the environment. B3. Why do you not have the EU flower on the Hand & Body lotion? At the time, there are not yet any EU ecolabel criteria decided for the category group Lotions. This is why we can not apply for an EU flower on our lotion. The new Tork Premium Hand and Body Lotion, now perfume free, has the Nordic Ecolabel. B4. Not all Tork Premium soap and lotion formulations carry the EU Ecolabel, only the Nordic Swan ecolabel. What benefits can that give to users outside the Nordic countries? By using a product labelled with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel the customers can be assured they are using a product among the least environmental hazardous on the market within the product category, soap or lotion. The customers should know that extra high demands are put on product quality and consistent product quality. The following criteria s are put in high focus for the choice of raw materials. Degradability Bioaccumulation Content of classified substances Colorants Packaging Product Efficiency 8
B5. Why is Tork Premium Soap liquid Antibacterial is taken out of the assortment and what is the difference vs. the recommended replacement Tork Premium Soap liquid Extra Hygiene HD. Tork Premium Soap liquid Antibacterial was containing Triclosan. Triclosan is a chemical included in many consumer products due to its antimicrobial activity at very low concentrations. Triclosan is a chlorinated organic compound (CAS no. 3380-34-5.) and has been used for over 30 years. According to the European Cosmetics Directive Triclosan is allowed as a preservative in concentrations up to 0,3%. In order to support all efforts to reduce the introduction of chlorinated compounds for environmental reasons, SCA has taken the decision to discontinue the Triclosan containing soap. Since Jan 1st 2010, SCA Hygiene Products AFH Europe has stopped producing Tork Premium Antibacterial Soap. Remember, all hand washing with high quality soap and drying with a single use towel has a certain antibacterial effect. If an increased level of safety and antibacterial effect is needed for certain areas such as Health Care or Food Preparation we recommend the use of Tork Premium Soap liquid Extra Hygiene HD, Tork Premium Hand sanitizer Alcohol Gel or Tork Premium Antimicrobial Foam Cleanser. Tork Premium Soap liquid Extra Hygiene HD is a soap for extra hygienic handwash meaning it has a higher efficiency in removing bacterias compared to regular soap. It is free from ingredients like Triclosan and also approved with the Nordic eco label.. Tork Premium Soap liquid Extra Hygiene HD fulfils the European norm for hygienic hand wash EN 1499. Tests performed according to this norm secures a reduction of bacteria by at least 99,9% B6. The old preservation system for soaps was based on paraben. Paraben are no longer allowed in soap to get the Nordic Ecolabel. The new Tork preservation system, approved by the EU- and Nordic- ecolabel organisation, is one of the most common preservation methods on the market. It is based on Benzoic acid, Acetic acid and Phenoxyethanol, what are these? Acetic acid and Benzoic acid are a common organic substances also used as a food preservative and approved in the whole EU. Benzoic acid inhibits the growth of mold, yeast and some bacteria. Acidic food and beverage like fruit juice (citric acid), sparkling drinks (carbon dioxide), soft drinks (phosphoric acid), pickles (vinegar) or other acidified food are often preserved with acetic or benzoic acid. Phenoxyethanol is an organic chemical compound, a glycol ether often used in dermatological products such as skin creams and sunscreen. The preservation system is not only approved by demanding the ecolabel criteria s but also proven in a challenge test to keep the product fresh for the full lifetime of the product. B7. I have more questions about Sustainability, where can I find useful material? http://ghcsustqa.sca.se/pages/startpage.aspx 9
C. Liquid soap: C1. Is the liquid soap system a proprietary system? The former system was used with competitors soap in 2 ways. a) Some distributors/competitors sell soap bottles which fit our screw/pump unit. b) Some end users refill the former bottle with bulk soap. SCA has a patent on the new disposable pump. The new pump can therefore not be exactly copied. SCA has been working 2 years to make this pump work perfectly. Next too that SCA will stop with the supply of the black pump in the dispenser from March 2010. So soap bottles fitting the old screw on pump will face the fact that these pumps are not more supplied. The new cartridge can in theory be cut open and refilled with another soap formulation. Apart from the fact that refilling is not easy with the soft back-side and it will be messy, the disposable pump will wear out after 1500 pushes and only supply 0,3ml after 2000 pushes. So in theory maybe not 100% proprietary, in practice it will be a proprietary system. C2. In the brochure we declare that our Industrial soap is improved but it would be very helpful to know exactly where it is improved and what kind of advantages it takes when used? Our Industrial soap can not be compared to the type of Industrial hand cleaners with grains or scrubs inside that gives a high friction cleaning. For the really heavy duty cleaning our Industrial Soap will not be able to compare with other much tougher products in the Industrial segment. That is why we have also recommended the Handy bucket Hand Cleaning for the Industrial segment to get the high friction cleaning. Our new Industrial soap has an extra ingredient for fat/grease dissolving which makes it more suitable for the applications where the main components to clean are fat and grease, and not so much heavy dirt. For this type of applications our product should be a very good offer because it is very gentle to the skin and also a good environmental choice in comparison to the heavy cleaners that many times gives a much worse impact environment. 10
D. Foam soap: D1. Where can I find the active substance for the new antimicrobial foam soap? It is printed on the bottle label, in the product information sheets, CAS numbers on line 1-2 in the SDS. (Alcohol Denat. And 2-propanol) D2. Does the use of foam soap lower water consumption? Reduced water consumption is a claim used by providers of foam soap. Different suppliers are claiming reductions of water consumption of 30 to 45%. Tork have not made any water consumption reduction studies. The rationale behind the water consumption is that water is pouring from the tap during the washing procedure when hands are rubbed with soap to create lather. Since it takes less time to create lather with foam soap, it is already prepared by the foam soap pump unit, less time is spent lathering and if water is during from the tap during the lathering more is consumed with liquid soap. On some markets with fresh water consumption restrictions the tap is turned off during the lathering process, under these circumstances the water reduction claim is not longer valid. Rinsing off the lather is also quicker using foam soap compared to liquid soap, this also gives a reduced amount of fresh water needed, but this difference alone does not make up significant water reduction. D3. How can the new foam soap refill contain 2.500 doses when the same size liquid soap contains 1.000 doses? A foam soap is air trapped in liquid soap. By using a mesh in the foam pump unit air is trapped in small bubbles of liquid soap. Therefore the foam soap better utilizes the amount of soap dispensed and less soap is needed for a hand wash. D4. What does the East to use label mean? The Swedish Rheumatism Association Easy to use accreditation is the first of its kind and done in cooperation with Unicum. Unicum helps organisations develop and innovate products and services focusing on usability for the customer, including people with disabilities. Their work and expertise will help improve the quality of life for more people around the world. According to the Swedish Rheumatism association as many as 20% of the European population suffer from reduced hand strength and it will most likely increase. Accessibility is equally important in hygiene establishments to be able to promote good hand hygiene standards which are key for staying healthy. This is why Tork have decided to introduce a proof of easy use with the help of real use tests by the Swedish Rheumatism association. 11
E. General: E1. What is the best before date on the cartridge and where can I find the production code? S1/S2 and S4 system Expiry date is printed on each bottle. Expiry date is 6 years from month of production on all Tork Premium formulations in S1/S2 system excluding Alcohol Gel. Expiry date on Tork Premium Foam Soap in S4 system is 3 years from month of production. From the production code printed on the cartridge month and year of production can be determined. The production code consists of 2 letters and 3 figures: Letter nr 1 = The year Letter nr 2 = The month The figures = serial/batch numbers from a register in the factory Letters for years: Letters for month: L = 2009 A = January M = 2010 B = February N = 2011 C = March O = 2012 D = April P = 2013 E = May Q = 2014 F = June R = 2015 G = July S = 2016 H = August T = 2017 I = September U = 2018 K = October V = 2019 L = November X = 2020 M = December An example: A product marked PG 111 is produced in July 2013 and expires July 2019 (except Alcohol Gel and Foam Soap that would expire July 2014) Shelf life for storing of unopened bottles is 5 years on liquid soap and 2 years of Alcohol Gel and Foam soap. Then another 12 months from opening to expiry date. Expiry date is 12 months after opening of the cartridge. An hourglass is added MFD: Manufacturing date 12
S3-system. How do I read the batch code information on the refill? The Soap refill batch codes are to the following format: e.g. B10321xxxx B= Manufacturing site 1=number referring to the number of batches produce on that day 032 = 32 day of the year (1 st of Feb) 1 = last digit of year (2011) xxxx = Four digit code that identifies the formulation used in the refill. What is the lifetime of the S3 refill? The refills have a life time of 2 years from the day of manufacture E2. I do not find the 12M symbol on the Alcohol Gel or the Toilet Seat Cleaner, why is it not on the bottle and what is then the expiry date? The Alcohol Gel can be used until the bottle is empty but the concentration of Alcohol will get lower over time due to the volatile nature of alcohol. To ensure the right concentration of Alcohol in the product Tork has decided to print an expiration date on the bottle. The expiry date for Alcohol gel is set to three years after the month of production. An opened bottle of Alcohol gel will keep its properties until the expiration date independent on when the seal/opening tag is removed. The same reasons as above are valid for Tork Premium Toilet Seat Cleaner. On the Toilet Seat Cleaner the alcohol concentration is lower and therefore less dependent on volatile properties. For this reason expiry date of the Toilet Seat Cleaner is set to six years after month of production. E3. Can the Tork Premium soap formulations be used by children? Soaps for children shall be especially mild as children skin is more sensitive. Additives like color and perfume should not be used as it might increase the risk of allergic reactions. Therefore non perfumed soap with no color additives is the best option choosing soap for children. Tork Premium Extra Mild formulations are the best solution. The Tork Premium foam soap Extra Mild is also sulfate-free giving the benefit of not irritating to eyes. 13
E4. What about freezing of liquid soap? It is stated in the SDS for soaps and lotion that they should be stored between 0 30 º Celsius. The temperature for storage in the SDS is mainly to protect the soap in storage against rapid aging or separation of ingredients. If a cosmetic product is kept in temperature above 30 ºCelsius it can be compared to a more rapid aging process. The effect of this can for example be slight changes in colour or viscosity of the product. If a soap product is exposed to a temperature below zero for a long period of time it will freeze. It might occur in defrosting of the soap that the different chemical in the product defrosts at different temperatures in the defrosting process and therefore also lead to a separation of the chemical ingredients in the soap. If this separation of ingredients is occurring the soap can be put into the blend again just by shaking the soap bottle. A soap formulation that is damaged due to exposure of too low or too high temperature will not be taken back or an accepted complaint by our soap supplier. There is of course a risk, that these temperature limits will be exceeded for limited periods of time. Based on our 30 year history of soap deliveries during winter and summer with no major complaints on damages due to temperature we can, and need to, accept this risk of damage at our own cost. The alternative cost, to use logistics with climate control, is too high to justify based on the track record of no issues for so long. E5. Does our soap bottle system contain Bisphenol A? Bisphenol A is used as a feedstock for polymerization of polycarbonate. This plastic has been used in transparent bottles, and some kitchen utensils / containers for a long time until some years ago. Bisphenol A remnants may remain in these plastics. It has now shifted to other materials during the debate on bisphenol A. Our Tork bottles are based on different grades of polyethylene (both bottle, pump, valve and cap). Bisphenol A does not appear in our soap system E6. Can our soaps be harmful to marble (stains etc.)? Marble is very sensitive for liquids with a ph value under 7. It is therefore a risk that our Tork soap assortment can have a negative impact on marble surface. The Tork soaps products have a ph close to 5 and Extra Hygiene to ph 4. Therefore there is a risk that spots can be a result of long contact time with low Ph soaps on marble. E7. Which soap is the mildest soap in the Tork Premium soap range? In the development of our foam soap offer we wanted to create something even milder then what we have had before in our soap range. The purpose was to develop a solution for children s skin as well as for extra sensitive skin. The Tork Premium foam soap Extra Mild is free from perfume and color, it is also sulphate free meaning it is non irritating to eyes. The base for development of this formulation is a baby soap proven with many years of use in the consumer market. E8. Where can I find more documents and FAQ s on the soap dispensers? http://intranet.sca.se/default.aspx?tabid=163565 14
FAQ PRESERVATIVES E8: Do we have preservatives in our products today? Yes, we have preservatives in all of our soaps, lotion and wet wipes products (the alcohol gel and the Antimicrobial Foam Cleanser product are preserved by the alcohol). All products containing water need to be preserved unless they are sold in sterile, single-use packaging. E9: Why do we have preservatives? Most products on the market are not sterile when they are produced. They can contain small amounts of microorganisms. In addition, more organisms can be introduced into the product during use (by touch or through the air). If products are inadequately preserved, microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts or molds) will begin to grow in the product since both water and nutrients are available. This can have two negative consequences: The products can be destroyed by the microorganisms off odors, changes in viscosity etc. The microorganisms can cause infections. Contaminated soaps have been the cause of infections in hospitals several cases. E10: How do we choose preservatives? We choose preservatives that are approved in accordance with European (and local where appropriate) legislation. We strive to use the preservatives with the smallest risk of adverse effects for users and the environment, while still giving adequate preservation. Hence we have chosen to prioritize preservatives that are accredited by the EU Eco label for usage in our cosmetics. Preservatives are designed to be toxic to micro-organisms, they can therefore by their very nature be problematic in the environment. We try to manage this risk by choosing the least bad alternatives and by using concentrations that are considered safe. We believe that the combination of phenoxyethanol and organic acids that we use in many of our soaps is a safe preservative system for this purpose. We always perform skin tolerance tests on our products and follow up customer experiences. 15