Antimicrobial treatments
An antimicrobial the maker names in a fabric or a foam: silver (including nanosilver and silver chloride), zinc pyrithione, triclosan or a quaternary ammonium compound.
Watched ingredients get highlighted on every product panel you open.
- Where it comes from
- Added to the fiber, the fabric or the foam during manufacture.
- Why it's in the product
- Slows the growth of the bacteria and mold that cause odor.
- Safety and toxicity
- Silver-treated fabric releases silver into water: in one study, six kinds of silver-treated socks released up to 650 micrograms of silver into 500 milliliters of water (Benn and Westerhoff, 2008). In 2016 FDA found 19 active ingredients, triclosan among them, not generally recognized as safe and effective in consumer antiseptic washes. CertiPUR-US allows zinc pyrithione as an antimicrobial in foam while noting it is classified as a reproductive toxin. EPA doesn't register an article whose treatment only protects the article itself, so long as the antimicrobial is registered for that use (40 CFR 152.25).
- Interactions and who should be careful
- We read this only in Supplies, on a bed, blanket or cover. An antimicrobial the maker doesn't name ("antimicrobial treatment", "odor-resistant finish") reads as Undisclosed material.
General reference, not veterinary advice. Dose, breed, and existing conditions change the answer, so talk to your vet before changing what your pet eats. Think we got this wrong? Tell us and we log it publicly.
Not in anything we've scored yet
No product in our database lists this on its panel. That says more about how much we have scored so far than about how common the ingredient is.