Preservative Efficacy Testing of Cosmetics and Toiletries
Preservative efficacy testing (PET), also known as the challenge test or preservative test, is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of preservatives in protecting products from microbial contamination throughout their shelf life.
Overview
People, surfaces, environments, equipment, air, and water can all harbor microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Preservatives are ingredients added to products to stop, slow down, or reduce microbial growth. The effectiveness of a preservative system is influenced by several factors, including the physical properties of the product, its packaging, and the specific preservatives used.
Preservative efficacy testing (PET), known as the challenge test or preservative test, is essential for evaluating how well preservatives protect products from microbial contamination throughout their shelf life. Learn:
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What a preservative is
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Why you ar required to identify the factors that affect a preservative system
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How to describe preservative efficacy testing or PET and its importance
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How the test is carried out
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How to interpret the results of the test
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How to identify any corrective actions that may be required
Agenda
1. INTRODUCTION TO MICROBES IN PRODUCTS
- Understand how products can get contaminated with microbes
- Discuss examples of microbes that can be found growing in cosmetic products
- Explain why preservatives are needed
2. PRESERVATIVE SYSTEMS
- Define what a preservative system is
- Recognize what needs to be considered when choosing preservatives for a product
- Understand how preservatives work in a product
- Differentiate between products that need preservatives and products that do not
- Learn how to determine the correct amount of preservative to use
3. PRESERVATIVE EFFICACY TESTING (PET)
- Define what PET is and why it is required
- Learn how to perform PET
- Identify the microorganisms to target with testing
- Understand the PET process
- Define key terms (i.e. colony forming unit (CFU) and log reduction)
- Learn how to interpret the results of PET