Ecolab Science Certified™ Program

Advancing Cleaner, Safer Practices

Ecolab Science Certified is a comprehensive, science-based program designed to help keep your employees and customers safe and give them the confidence that your operations are committed to the highest cleaning and disinfecting practices.

Now more than ever, consumers are looking for visible commitments to clean and safe environments, evidence of hygiene best practices and independent audit verification.

Ecolab has helped make the world cleaner, safer and healthier in partnership with the world’s largest hospitality and foodservice brands. Now we’ve developed the Ecolab Science Certified seal, enabling hospitality and food service operators to demonstrate their commitment to advancing cleaner, safer practices by meeting the program’s rigorous criteria.

Visit the Ecolab Science Certified Site

Earning the Seal

Businesses that meet program requirements, including public health, food safety and pest solutions, employee training, auditing and compliance verification, earn the ability to use the Ecolab Science Certified seal.

If you would like more information about this program, contact your Ecolab Corporate Account Manager.

Ecolab Science Certified Helps Create Consumer Confidence in Four Ways:

The Ecolab Science Certified program combines advanced chemistry, protocols and procedures, with rigorous training and an Ecolab Science Certified audit verification to deliver a comprehensive solution for public health and food safety. Companies that complete meet the program’s criteria earn the ability to display the Ecolab Science Certified seal to help customers and guests see and believe clean.

The program was developed in response to research showing that consumers feel safer when hotels and restaurants raise their cleaning protocols to include hospital disinfectants and third-party audits. Hotel guests said they feel “extremely safe” knowing a hotel room is cleaned with hospital disinfectants compared to leading consumer brands¹. In addition, 66% of foodservice customers said they feel “extremely” or “very safe” knowing a restaurant is cleaned with hospital disinfectants1.

The research also found that consumers feel safer knowing cleaning and disinfecting practices in a hotel or restaurant are verified by an external, independent auditor* with cleaning expertise – particularly one with expertise cleaning and disinfecting hospitals.

¹Ecolab proprietary consumer research conducted May 2020.
* Versus on-site hotel/restaurant managers or the company that owns the hotel/restaurant.

For more information about how Ecolab helps make the places where you eat, stay and play clean and safe visit our Science Certified website.

Visit the Ecolab Science Certified Site

Create Clean

The Ecolab Science Certified program starts with our line-up of powerful hospital disinfecting products, food-contact sanitizers, cleaning products, solutions that address the most common sources of infection transmission, and elevated hygiene standards and protocols informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Check Clean

Ecolab Science Certified helps customers check clean through periodic on-demand training, auditing and compliance verification, all backed by Ecolab public health and food safety experts.

See Clean

Through the use of the Ecolab Science Certified seal onsite and the visibility of our products and program at work, consumers will see clear visual reminders of the cleaning and disinfecting protocols at work.

Believe Clean

The Ecolab Science Certified seal on a hotel, restaurant, grocery store or arena will signify that business has invested in a high level of cleanliness for public health and food safety – giving customers confidence in their choice.

Key Program Elements

Backed by Ecolab’s deep scientific expertise and tailored to meet specific business needs, Ecolab Science Certified brings together the right programs, products, training and procedures from Ecolab’s nearly 100 years of fighting pathogens and foodborne illnesses and our deep understanding of micro-organisms and expertise in chemistry, dispensing and public health. The program can be scaled to deliver a consistent standard of cleaning and disinfecting across multiple customer locations globally.

About the Program

The Ecolab Science Certified program includes:

The use of hospital disinfecting products and food-safe cleaning and sanitizing products
Standardized cleaning, hygiene and food safety protocols and procedures informed by the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and local health department guidelines
Pest elimination and water treatment solutions to address additional sources of infection transmission
Comprehensive staff training to reduce the potential for human error in following protocols and applying products correctly, which is particularly important for industries and businesses with high staff turnover
On-site support through ongoing consultation and in-person coaching
An annual comprehensive hygiene and food safety audit that reviews state and federal requirements and helps ensure correct product and equipment usage, completion of training modules, adherence to elevated protocols and documentation of corrective actions, with customer sign off

The Ecolab Science Certified Program initially available in North America, then globally, is focused primarily on business chains and corporate customers.

Ecolab Science Certified program restaurant worker in protective mask cleaning a patio table.

About the Protocols

In alignment with the CDC and best practices from other regulatory bodies, Ecolab has elevated our protocol and procedure recommendations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in operations. The recommendations focus on additional disinfecting steps, increased frequency and duration, and expanding the scope for cleaning programs in the industries we serve.

Ecolab Science Certified program training on ipad tablet.

About the Training

Reducing risk in your operation requires a commitment to ensuring staff understand public health matters and proper procedures. Ecolab training specialists have designed an interactive curriculum with new courses specifically for the Ecolab Science Certified program centered on essential public health protocols, food safety, and housekeeping best practices, covering the most relevant topics including COVID-19 basics, social distancing, proper use of PPE, heightened sanitation, and how to approach guest interactions.

Using Lobster Ink's dynamic online training platform, Ecolab Science Certified customers can ensure fast onboarding, flexible learning, and detailed reporting for all employees, which is critical for businesses with high employee turnover.

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Ecolab Science Certified program food safety training.

About the Audit

The Ecolab Science Certified audit completes the process of program implementation and provides consumers the confidence that all applicable program elements are in place and employee training has been completed. This audit assesses Ecolab standards and validates the critical areas that impact food safety, public health and guest experience and helps location managers take corrective action to mitigate risks. This expert assessment can be completed onsite by an EcoSure field specialist, or virtually by a remote EcoSure field specialist, in partnership with the unit level manager.

Learn more about how EcoSure specialists help improve brand compliance and risk mitigation.

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Ecolab Science Certified Program on Eye on Travel Podcast

Dr. Andy Cooper, senior vice president of Research, Development & Engineering for Global Institutional and Specialty Groups, joined the Eye on Travel podcast to discuss how science-based cleaning and sanitizing practices can help guests feel more confident as they get back to traveling.

Visit the Ecolab Science Certified Site