Performacide, a chlorine dioxide-based viral disinfectant produced by Star brite Inc. in Montgomery, is registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a virucide that can be effective against coronavirus, the company has announced.
To date, there is no vaccine or antiviral drug for prevention or treatment of coronavirus, which appeared suddenly in Wuhan, China, and has spread rapidly, including into the United States.
Recommendations from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control call for disinfection of hard surfaces and objects, among other steps, to curtail the spread of the virus.
Star brite produces a patented CIO2 generation system that can be used in workplace and home, and can be safely applied to most surfaces including walls, floors and furniture.
“It is currently approved for use in homes, hospitals, medical facilities, first responder facilities, rehabilitation facilities, diagnostic centers, and food processing and serving facilities,” the company says.
The product comes in sealed packets that are mixed with water and then sprayed or wiped onto surfaces. They do not require a wipe up or rinse and do not leave harmful residue, the company’s product information asserts.
Star brite products have been produced in the 300,000-square-foot facility Kinpak Inc. facility in Montgomery since 1996. The facility is automated for manufacturing and distribution. In addition to the main facility for blending, packing and distribution, the 20-acre site has a 500,000-gallon tank farm, a quality control center and a research-and-development laboratory. The company has a 1.2-million-gallon tank farm at another site
Star brite is a subsidiary of Ocean Bio-Chem Inc., based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
