Overview
ISO 19574:2022 - "Footwear and footwear components - Qualitative test method to assess antifungal activity (growth test)" - specifies a laboratory qualitative growth test to evaluate the antifungal (antimycotic) performance of footwear and footwear components when exposed to filamentous micro‑fungi. It applies only to products that claim an antifungal or antimicrobial treatment effect. The method relies on inoculating test and control specimens with fungal spore suspensions and visually assessing fungal growth after a defined incubation period.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and applicability: Intended for footwear and components that make antifungal/antimicrobial claims; evaluates efficacy against selected moulds and dermatophytes.
- Test principle: Inoculate specimens with mixed or single-strain spore suspensions (e.g., Aspergillus sp., Penicillium funiculosum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes for dermatophyte claims) and qualitatively assess growth.
- Safety and containment: Tests require microbiological containment facilities and trained personnel; national biosafety rules apply.
- Apparatus: Biological safety cabinet, incubator (28 ± 2 °C, 85 ± 5 % RH), autoclave, vortex mixer, centrifuge, microscope, spectrophotometer (500–700 nm), petri dishes, grids for growth evaluation.
- Culture media and reagents:
- Malt Extract Agar (MEA) composition and preparation (pH ~5.5)
- Physiological saline (NaCl solution)
- Wetting agents (e.g., Tween 80) at 0.01 % when needed
- Buffer solutions for spore harvesting and suspension
- Test procedure steps: preparation of spore suspension, specimen preparation (test vs control), inoculation of agar and specimens, incubation, viability control of spores, visual assessment using a grid, and expression/reporting of results.
- Reporting: The test report must state strains used, test conditions, observations and conclusions relevant to the antifungal claim.
Applications and users
ISO 19574:2022 is practical for:
- Footwear manufacturers and component suppliers verifying antifungal treatments.
- Independent testing laboratories performing compliance or claims substantiation.
- R&D teams assessing new antifungal finishes, linings, insoles or coatings.
- Quality assurance and regulatory compliance professionals documenting product claims.
- Certification bodies and purchasing/specification teams requiring standardized test evidence.
Practical benefits include standardized, reproducible qualitative evaluation of antifungal performance to support product claims, design decisions and quality control.
Related standards
- ISO 16187 - Footwear - Test method to assess antibacterial activity (complements antifungal testing)
- ISO 7218 and ISO 11133 - General microbiological laboratory requirements and culture media preparation
- ISO 19952 - Footwear vocabulary and relevant terminology
- IEC and national biosafety guidance for handling microorganisms
Keywords: ISO 19574:2022, antifungal activity, footwear testing, growth test, footwear components, antimicrobial treatment, mould testing, Trichophyton, Aspergillus, Penicillium.
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