- INEOS has launched a new global healthcare business to be called INEOS Hygienics, to produce hospital grade hand gels, sanitiser sprays for hands and surfaces and sanitiser wipes, available for the home and to the public.
- The INEOS Hygienics’ business was created during the pandemic when medical professionals desperately needed hand sanitiser and INEOS built six factories each in under ten days to produce millions of bottles to supply hospitals free of charge.
- INEOS Hygienics is also supporting elite sports teams return to training and competition including six-time double world champions, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team, Tour de France winners, Team INEOS, the British challenger for the America’s Cup, INEOS TEAM UK, and French League 1 side, OGC Nice.
- George Ratcliffe Chief Operating Officer, INEOS Hygienics says, “The launch of INEOS Hygienics is another step forward in the fight against COVID 19. The world will look at daily hygiene differently going forward and many people are still struggling to buy medical grade gels and cleansers. INEOS produce the highest quality ethanol, we are well placed to offer a solution to this new world outlook.”
INEOS, one of the world’s largest manufacturing companies, has today announced the launch of its new global healthcare business, INEOS Hygienics.
The new business will produce a range of hospital grade hand gels, sanitiser sprays for hands and surfaces and sanitiser wipes, for retail sale, available for the home and to the public.
It will be headquartered in the UK and operate manufacturing plants at Newton Aycliffe in the UK, Herne in Germany, Etain in France and at Jacksonville and Neville Island in the USA.
George Ratcliffe, Chief Operating Officer of INEOS Hygienics, says, “To date, we’ve delivered more than four million bottles of sanitiser to hospitals around the world, bringing confidence to thousands of frontline medical staff and care providers. Now, we’re able to offer that same level of protection to the public. INEOS sanitiser products will now help us all to target viruses and bacteria with confidence at home, at work and beyond.”
INEOS have a long-standing history of producing the purest most effective sanitising agent, which is pharmaceutical grade alcohol. In contrast to other suppliers INEOS Hygienics will formulate its sanitisers with 75% alcohol as advised by The World Health Organization, The US FDA, and European health services. Nothing is added which is not needed to kill infection. This ensures that it is effective in eliminating 99.9% of viruses and bacteria.
The launch of the INEOS Hygienics business is being announced at the British Grand Prix weekend and is supported by six-time double world champions, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes F1 team, is delighted to have the backing of INEOS Hygienics and to be back racing at Silverstone.
Toto says, “It is fantastic that we’re back racing and it’s only possible due to the stringent protocol measures that are in place across sport, including team members prioritising hygiene. The INEOS Hygienics range of medical grade sanitisers is helping to protect the team, giving us confidence to get the job done at the factory and on the track. The innovation and adaptation that INEOS has demonstrated in its response to the pandemic have been impressive and we’re proud to be carrying the INEOS Hygienics name on the car at Silverstone and for the next races. ”
Other elite performance sports teams using INEOS Hygienics products include Sir Ben Ainslie’s America’s Cup team, INEOS TEAM UK, Patrick Vieira’s French League 1 side, OGC Nice, and Sir Dave Brailsford’s Tour de France winning cycle team, Team INEOS.
Team INEOS were actively involved in distributing INEOS hand gels to hospitals during the crisis and all still use the products to ensure cleanliness remains a top priority.
Sir Dave Brailsford says, “Minimising the risk of avoidable illness is key to success in sport. Consequently over the last ten years Team INEOS has developed a unique hygiene programme to protect our riders and staff. It has now become critical for everyone in every part of life - from sport and school to the workplace and home. Through INEOS Hygienics and state of the art products we are taking this same expert knowledge to help equip the public in their fight against infection.”
INEOS is Europe’s largest producer of ultra-high purity ethanol and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) which are the two main ingredients used in sanitiser products. It is the only company in the world that can produce and supply this medical grade direct to consumers.
Supply to Amazon as well as pharmacies, wholesalers and supermarkets is now starting across the UK and Germany, with France and the USA following shortly.
George Ratcliffe adds, “COVID-19 has made everyone more aware of the importance of hygiene and the need for effective sanitising products. INEOS Hygienics is determined to ensure our products are available to meet the increased demand around the world. As a new and quickly evolving hygiene business, we will be able to meet the demands of both consumers and businesses as we all adapt to the new demands for hygiene against Corona and other viruses.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
At INEOS, our business is to make the products that society needs. So when the coronavirus pandemic led to a global shortage of sanitizing products, we set about manufacturing and distributing the large volumes needed to meet the shortfall, firstly to health authorities, and then more broadly to all.
In just three months we installed new plants in the UK, Germany, France and the USA and are now producing five million bottles of hand sanitizer every month.
Alcohol based disinfectant has long been recognised by the scientific and medical communities as the simplest and most effective way of destroying both viruses and bacteria when soap and water is not readily available (ref 1). The viruses and bacteria cannot build up resistance (ref 2), meaning that no matter how often you use it, the cleansing effect will be just as good. Even where soap and water is available, alcohol provides an additional deep clean of viruses and bacteria that is quick and convenient (ref 3). Its use is standard procedure in health care environments and hospitals. And although the virus associated with COVID-19 is new, a study by Swiss and German scientists has already confirmed alcohol’s effectiveness at killing it (ref 4).
At the core of our sanitizer is our own high purity ethanol (1), which is manufactured under strictly controlled conditions to meet the specialist requirements of pharmaceutical, medical and other applications. Our product is free of impurities seen in many agricultural sources of ethanol and of concern to the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) (ref 5). Because of its high purity, it is already being used as a pharmaceutical grade reagent to purify RNA and DNA in the UK’s COVID-19 testing programme.
In contrast with many suppliers, we formulate our sanitizer hand gel with 75% alcohol, as advised by The World Health Organization (ref 6), the US FDA, and health services in Europe. This ensures that it is effective in eliminating 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. It also ensures that, after use, it evaporates quickly, and leaves hands feeling clean and dry.
In responding to extraordinary circumstances, our first instinct was to supply the UK’s National Health Services and other European health services free of charge to see them through the peak. From project go-ahead to first deliveries took just 10 days. Now, with production ramped up and the initial peak of demand met, our sanitizer range is available through a wide range of retailers.
As the world’s largest manufacturer of high purity synthetic ethanol, steeped in safety and operational excellence in a highly regulated environment, we are uniquely placed to assure continuity of supply and the highest levels of product quality.
Notes
(1) Isopropanol can be substituted for ethanol but provides the same level of purity and sanitizing performance. INEOS is also a major manufacturer of isopropanol.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings: Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. MMWR 2002;51(No. RR16):[1-56].
- Kampf and Kramer, Clin Microbiol Rev. 2004 Oct; 17(4): 863–893.
- Todd et al, Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 73, No. 11, 2010, Pages 2128–2140
- Kratzel A, Todt D, V’kovski P, Steiner S, Gultrom M, Thao TTN, et al. Inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations and alcohols. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 April 13th https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200915
- https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information/guidances-drugs
- https://www.who.int/gpsc/information_centre/handrub-formulations/en/
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