Conclusion
Understanding the concepts and types of decontamination methods, and evaluating their usefulness is imperative in order to prevent transmission of potential pathogens and improve the shelf life of commodities. As microbes differ greatly in their ability to tolerate destruction by physical or chemical means, it is important to choose a suitable decontamination method in order to achieve the required level of decontamination. Sanitizing, which is the least effective decontamination method, reduces the number of pathogens to a sanitary level. Disinfectants and antiseptics provide a higher level of decontamination, as they inactivate or kill vegetative microbes. The best decontamination method is sterilizing, which kills both vegetative microbes and their spores. The level of decontamination can be assessed using “D”, “SAL” and “LR” values, and monitored with biological and chemical indicators.