Peracetic Acid
CH₃CO₃H | CAS: 79-21-0 | HS: 29159080
Product Description
Peracetic Acid (PAA, Peroxyacetic Acid) is a broad-spectrum, fast-acting antimicrobial biocide and oxidant used in disinfection and sterilisation across food processing, medical device sterilisation, water treatment, and poultry/produce washing. Its key advantage over chlorine-based disinfectants is that its decomposition products — water, oxygen, and acetic acid — leave no toxic residue, making it ideal for food-contact surfaces and produce washing without rinsing requirements. It maintains efficacy across a broad pH range and is effective against bacteria, yeast, moulds, biofilms, spores, and viruses. MITCHEM supplies stabilised PAA solutions (5–15%) in closed-loop equilibrium with acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide for extended shelf life.
Applications by Industry
Used in Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems for disinfection of bottling lines, dairy equipment, brewing tanks, and food processing surfaces; GRAS-exempt from rinsing at approved concentrations.
Approved low-temperature sterilisation agent for flexible endoscopes, heat-sensitive medical instruments, and implantable devices; rapid sporicidal action at 0.2% in automated systems.
USDA-approved antimicrobial treatment for raw poultry and meat in processing plants; reduces Salmonella and Listeria on carcasses at 200–2000 ppm without affecting product quality.
Used in industrial cooling water treatment to control biofilm and Legionella; also in municipal wastewater disinfection as a chlorine-free alternative that does not form chlorinated DBPs.