UL Verification Validates Electrolux Professional’s Hygienic Dishwasher Claim

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, hygiene has taken on a new level of significance in business. Companies big and small have invested in innovative hygienic products, heightened cleaning protocols and implemented multiple mitigation strategies to help reduce the risk of exposure to bacteria and viruses.

Electrolux Professional wanted to help the food services industry regain customers lost to pandemic health and safety concerns. By applying the general performance requirements used by the medical industry to disinfect reusable medical devices, the company’s product design team was able to develop a hygienic commercial dishwashing line that disinfected items handled in the preparation and consumption of food products.

While internal tests demonstrated the hygienic capabilities of the equipment, Electrolux Professional wanted independent verification of its results in order to be completely transparent with its customers. The company engaged UL Solutions, through its Marketing Claim Verification program, to assess its claim that the dishwashers performed at the disinfection level A0 of 60 as defined by UNI EN ISO 15883-1, which normally only applies to medical equipment.

“[The world] had already witnessed an overwhelming amount of advertising, sometimes featuring false and very often misleading claims. We wanted to be different.” - Silvia Piccin, Electrolux Professional product manager, Warewashing

What is a UL Verified Marketing Claim?

UL Verification boosts customer confidence by independently verifying a brand’s marketing and advertising claims about a product, process, system or facility. The marketing claim process starts with a discussion about the proposed marketing claim, followed by development of the claim’s testing protocol and evaluation criteria.

Once the claim is validated, UL Solutions issues a visually distinct UL Mark featuring a unique identifier along with a description of the claim. The customer then receives a marketing packet explaining how to apply the UL Verified Mark to its marketing materials and promote the accomplishment to its customers.

UL Solutions features all Verified marketing claims on its publicly available database, verify.ul.com. Buyers can search for records by manufacturer name, product name or a Verified Mark’s unique identifier, making it easier for customers to purchase products with confidence.

How UL Solutions verified Electrolux Professional’s hygienic claim

Led by UL Solutions’ team in Europe, UL Solutions’ employees turned first to the global list of standards to determine the appropriate testing protocols. Next, they assessed what bacteria was needed to conduct the test and how to source the bacteria accurately. Because UL Solutions can tailor the service around the claim to reflect each customer’s specific market needs, the team then developed the claim’s scope and definition.

“With UL Verification, customers can specify what they want to communicate to the market,” said Fabio Pozzi, a regional operations manager in UL Solutions’ HVAC, Appliances and Lighting group. “The claim is specific to the customer, which allows them to sell a product with a unique characteristic to differentiate themselves from their competitors.”

To arrive at the final wording of the verification claim, UL Solutions evaluated every element of the product and testing process to align the claim with ISO’s general performance requirements for the cleaning and disinfection of reusable medical devices.

“The wording of the claim impacts the testing program, so it’s critical for us to accurately translate the customer’s request into a repeatable test to allow for future claim validation,” said Franck Grevet, business development manager in UL Solutions’ Appliances, HVAC and Lighting group. “Every detail is prescribed, from defining the machine used in the evaluation to the specific techniques applied during the testing process.”

After concluding testing, the commercial dishwashing solution achieved UL Verification for A0 60 with 99.999% reduction load of bacteria in the disinfection cycle. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines disinfection as “thermal or chemical destruction of pathogenic and other types of microorganisms.”

Electrolux Professional launched its hygiene&clean commercial dishwashers in July 2020. The hygiene&clean line is available across four core Electrolux Professional models, including under-counter, hood type, pot washer and rack type.

“By actively collaborating with UL to develop a clear definition of our goal, we were able to promote it on the market more effectively.” - Silvia Piccin