New Ecolab Program Delivers Comprehensive, Science-Based Solution for Clean and Safe Environments as Businesses Work to Regain Consumer Confidence

Program leverages the latest science, innovation and public health expertise to help ensure a high standard of cleanliness and consumer trust

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, food safety and infection prevention solutions and services, today launched the Ecolab Science Certified Program. Using a comprehensive, science-based approach, Ecolab Science Certified combines advanced chemistry with new public health training and audit verification to deliver a high standard of cleanliness for public health and food safety required due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ecolab Science Certified Program strengthens consumer confidence by:

• Creating clean through hospital-grade disinfecting products, food-contact cleaning and sanitizing products, solutions that address the most common sources of infection transmission, and elevated hygiene standards and protocols informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines
• Ensuring clean through rigorous, on-demand training, auditing and compliance verification
• Seeing clean in action through front-of-house products, procedures and signage
• Believing clean through a consumer awareness and education campaign and a visible sign of assurance with the Ecolab Science Certified seal

Restaurants, hotels, retail stores and other hospitality businesses can earn and display the Science Certified seal digitally and on-site to support guest and employee confidence in their elevated level of cleaning and disinfection.

“Across the many industries we serve, Ecolab applies science and innovation to help solve the challenges posed by the spread of pathogens and infections – including emerging pathogens like COVID-19,” said Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab chairman and CEO. “As a trusted partner to the world’s most recognizable brands and in the world’s most critical environments, including hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities where higher standards of clean are essential for health, we know firsthand that the safety of every environment is now top of mind for consumers. And Ecolab is uniquely qualified to help our customers confidently meet heightened expectations for cleanliness in all facilities.”

The Ecolab Science Certified Program is tailored to meet specific business needs, including proprietary protocols and standards, and can be scaled to deliver a consistent standard of cleaning and disinfecting across multiple customer locations globally. The program was developed in response to research indicating consumers feel safer knowing cleaning practices in a hotel or restaurant are verified by an external, independent auditor* with cleaning expertise.[1] Consumers also indicated they feel safer knowing the places they eat and stay use hospital-grade disinfecting products.¹

“Ecolab is committed to helping our customers rebound and recover as quickly as possible,” said Tim Mulhere, executive vice president and president, Global Institutional & Specialty Services. “It’s clear that consumers are looking for reassurance that the places where they eat, stay, work and play are clean and safe. The Ecolab Science Certified Program delivers consumers that confidence and peace of mind.”

How the Program Works

The Ecolab Science Certified Program leverages Ecolab’s unique combination of science-based solutions and insights from 1,200 scientists, engineers and technical specialists with verification by highly trained EcoSure auditors focused exclusively on public health and food safety.

Ecolab’s solutions are backed by ongoing service at nearly three million customer locations around the world performed by Ecolab’s 25,000 sales-and-service associates – the industry’s largest and best trained direct sales-and-service force. Partnering with the world’s largest foodservice and hospitality brands, the team helps support clean kitchens serving 58 billion restaurant meals annually and delight guests with more than 1 billion clean hotel rooms each year.

To earn the Science Certified seal, customers must meet the program’s rigorous criteria:

• The use of hospital-grade disinfecting products and food-safe cleaning and sanitizing products
• Standardized cleaning, hygiene and food safety protocols and procedures informed by the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and local health department guidelines
• Pest elimination and water treatment solutions to address additional sources of infection transmission
• Comprehensive staff training to reduce the potential for human error in following protocols and applying products correctly, which is particularly important for industries and businesses with high staff turnover
• On-site support through ongoing consultation and in-person coaching
• An annual comprehensive hygiene and food safety audit that reviews state and federal requirements and helps ensure correct product and equipment usage​, completion of training modules, adherence to elevated protocols and documentation of corrective actions, with customer sign off

The Ecolab Science Certified Program will launch initially in North America, and then roll out globally. For more information about the program, go to www.ecolab.com/ScienceCertified.

About Ecolab

A trusted partner at nearly three million commercial customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $13 billion and more than 45,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. www.ecolab.com

Follow us on Twitter @ecolab, Facebook at facebook.com/ecolab, LinkedIn at Ecolab or Instagram at Ecolab Inc.

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*Versus on-site hotel/restaurant managers or the company that owns the hotel/restaurant.

¹ Ecolab proprietary research conducted 16-17 May 2020.

² Ecolab proprietary research conducted 9-10 May 2020.