Disinfectant product attributes

Disinfectant data is regulated label data. In the US, what a product may claim is set by its EPA-registered label: which organisms it kills, on which surfaces, at what dilution and with what contact time. Supplier feeds often compress this to a single kill list and one contact time, when the label may give different times for different organisms. A catalog that shows the shortest time next to the longest list overstates what the product can do.

The same formulation is frequently sold under several brands. Distributor products carry the original registrant's EPA number with a supplemental suffix, so the registration number is the most reliable way to link equivalent items across suppliers. Formulation type matters just as much: a concentrate needs a dilution ratio and yield, while a ready-to-use spray or a wipe does not, and a pH or active concentration quoted for the concentrate is not the value at use dilution.

Buyers pick a disinfectant for a task: a norovirus response, a no-rinse food-contact surface, a product that works in the dilution dispensers already on the wall, or the lowest cost per gallon of use solution. Each of those questions can only be answered from structured label fields such as organism, surface, dilution and contact time, linked to the current label and SDS rather than retyped from a sell sheet.

The disinfectants attribute template

18 candidate fields in 4 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 9 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) manufacturer_part_number_mpn	Identifier	Core	DQ-256-4X1
GTIN / UPC gtin_upc	Identifier	Channel / evidence	10012345600507 (GTIN-14, case)

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Active Ingredient Concentration active_ingredient_concentration	Number · % w/w	Core	6.5 (in concentrate)
Contact Time (Dwell Time) contact_time_dwell_time	Number · min	Core	10
Dilution Ratio dilution_ratio	Text	Core	1:256 (0.5 fl oz/gal)
Container Size (Net Contents) container_size_net_contents	Number · fl oz	Core	128
pH (As Used) ph_as_used	Number	Buyer decision	7.5
Yield at Use Dilution yield_at_use_dilution	Number · gal	Buyer decision	1,024 per case (4 x 1 gal at 1:256)

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Antimicrobial Product Type antimicrobial_product_type	Controlled list	Core	One-step disinfectant cleaner
Formulation Type formulation_type	Controlled list	Core	Concentrate
Active Ingredient active_ingredient	Controlled list	Core	Quaternary ammonium compounds
Kill Claim List (Labeled Organisms) kill_claim_list_labeled_organisms	Text	Buyer decision	Staphylococcus aureus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Salmonella enterica; Influenza A
Approved Surface Types approved_surface_types	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Hard nonporous (HN)
One-Step Cleaner-Disinfectant one_step_cleaner_disinfectant	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Yes

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
EPA Registration Number epa_registration_number	Identifier	Core	12345-678
EPA Efficacy List Membership epa_efficacy_list_membership	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	List N
NSF Nonfood Compound Category nsf_nonfood_compound_category	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	D2
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	United States

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• Contact Time by Organism (kill-claim table)
• Yield at Use Dilution (cost in use)
• State Pesticide Registration Status
• Dilution Control System Compatibility
• Distributor (Supplemental) EPA Registration Number

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing disinfectants ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• What is the contact time for norovirus with this product?
• Can we use it on food-contact surfaces without rinsing?
• Will it work with our wall-mounted dilution dispensers?
• What does it cost per gallon of use solution?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

FAQ