JIS Z 2801 is the Japanese Industrial Standard test for antibacterial-treated products. It measures how many bacteria survive for 24 hours on a treated surface compared with the same surface without the antibacterial treatment, and expresses the difference as the antibacterial activity value, R. Under JIS Z 2801, an R of 2.0 or more means the product has antibacterial efficacy. Airmid Healthgroup tests plastics and other non-porous surfaces, such as metals, ceramics and coated materials, to JIS Z 2801.
Its international counterpart, ISO 22196, was developed from JIS Z 2801 and uses the same method. If your customer or market asks for ISO 22196, see our ISO 22196 testing page, or ask us to report against both standards.
- Full title
- Antibacterial products – Test for antibacterial activity and efficacy
- Current edition
- JIS Z 2801:2010 with Amendment 1:2012 · first published 2000, reconfirmed 2017
- International equivalent
- ISO 22196:2011, Measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces
- Covers
- Antibacterial plastic, metal, ceramic and other non-porous products, including intermediate products. Textiles and photocatalytic products are excluded.
- Test bacteria
- Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P (NBRC 12732) · Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 (NBRC 3972)
- Test conditions
- 0.4 mL of bacterial suspension under a 40 × 40 mm film · 35 ± 1 °C · relative humidity of 90% or more · 24 ± 1 h
- Result
- Antibacterial activity value, R. R ≥ 2.0 means antibacterial efficacy: at least 99% fewer viable bacteria than the untreated control after 24 hours.
- Sample and turnaround
- Flat 50 × 50 mm specimens up to 10 mm thick, treated and untreated · 4 weeks from receipt of samples
Is JIS Z 2801 the right test for your product?
JIS Z 2801 is designed for surfaces with antibacterial activity built in: an additive in a polymer, a treated metal, a glaze or a coating. It tests the finished surface. It is not a test for a product you spray or wipe onto a surface.
| Product | JIS Z 2801 | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
| Plastics with antibacterial additives: moulded parts, sheets, films | ✓ Suitable | |
| Metals and alloys, such as copper alloys and silver-treated steel | ✓ Suitable | |
| Ceramics, glazed tiles and glass | ✓ Suitable | |
| Coatings and paints on a non-porous substrate | ✓ Suitable | |
| Textiles and fabrics | Excluded | ISO 20743 or JIS L 1902 |
| Photocatalytic, light-activated materials | Excluded | ISO 27447 (JIS R 1702) |
| Antiviral surfaces | Bacteria only | ISO 21702 |
| Powders, granules or items that cannot be cut flat | Not practical | ASTM E2149 |
| Disinfectants and surface cleaners | Not designed for this | BS EN 13697 |
How JIS Z 2801 testing works
0.4 mL bacterial suspension2.5–10 × 105 cells/mL
Test specimen50 × 50 mm, up to 10 mm thick
↓ 24 h35 °C · relative humidity ≥ 90%
Wash off with 10 mL SCDLP brothDilute, plate and count viable bacteria per cm²
Untreated
6 per bacterium
3 counted at 0 h, 3 at 24 hTreated
3 per bacterium
counted at 24 h
- Prepare specimens. 50 × 50 mm squares are cut from the treated product and from the same product without the antibacterial treatment.
- Prepare the inoculum. S. aureus and E. coli are pre-cultured and diluted in 1/500 nutrient broth to 2.5–10 × 105 cells/mL.
- Inoculate and cover. 0.4 mL of suspension goes onto each specimen and is covered with a 40 × 40 mm film. The film spreads the liquid into a thin layer, keeps it in close contact with the surface and stops it drying out.
- Incubate. Specimens are held at 35 ± 1 °C and a relative humidity of at least 90% for 24 ± 1 hours. Three untreated specimens are recovered straight after inoculation as the starting count.
- Recover. Bacteria are washed off each specimen and its film with 10 mL of SCDLP broth, which neutralises the antibacterial agent so that it cannot keep acting after recovery.
- Count. The wash-out is serially diluted and plated, and colonies are counted to give viable bacteria per cm².
- Calculate and check. R is calculated from the 24-hour counts, and the run is checked against the standard’s validity criteria.
Neutraliser check. SCDLP broth works for most antibacterial agents, but not every one. For a new active substance, we run a neutraliser control first to confirm the agent is neutralised and that bacteria recovered from the treated surface are not under-counted.
How the antibacterial activity value R is calculated
R compares the treated and untreated specimens after the same 24 hours:
R = Ut − At
Ut is the average of the common logarithms of viable bacteria per cm² recovered from the untreated specimens after 24 hours. At is the same figure for the treated specimens.
Because R is a difference between logarithms, each whole unit is a tenfold difference in surviving bacteria. JIS Z 2801 treats R ≥ 2.0 as antibacterial efficacy. ISO 22196 reports R without setting a pass mark, so buyers and labelling schemes set their own, commonly 2.0.
Worked example
| After 24 hours | Viable bacteria per cm² | Logarithm |
|---|---|---|
| Untreated specimens (Ut) | 1.6 × 105 | 5.20 |
| Treated specimens (At) | 2.0 × 102 | 2.30 |
| Antibacterial activity, R | 5.20 − 2.30 | 2.90 |
An R of 2.90 means about 99.87% fewer viable bacteria on the treated surface than on the untreated one, so the product passes the JIS Z 2801 efficacy criterion for that bacterium. Each bacterium gets its own R, and a claim should only be made for the bacteria that met the criterion.
R is not a kill rate from the starting count. It compares treated and untreated surfaces after 24 hours. Bacteria often multiply on the untreated control, so a surface that only stops growth can still score well, while a die-off on the control lowers R. That is why the standard checks the untreated control before a result can be reported.
When is a JIS Z 2801 result valid?
A result counts only if the untreated controls behave as the standard expects. JIS Z 2801:2010 and ISO 22196:2011 both require that:
- counts from the untreated specimens recovered straight after inoculation agree closely with each other;
- the average count recovered straight after inoculation from the untreated specimens is between 6.2 × 103 and 2.5 × 104 cells/cm²;
- each untreated specimen still yields at least 6.2 × 101 cells/cm² after 24 hours.
A run that fails any of these is repeated rather than reported. Our reports show the control counts alongside R, so your customers and regulators can see that the run was valid.
JIS Z 2801 or ISO 22196: which do you need?
| JIS Z 2801:2010 (+Amd 1:2012) | ISO 22196:2011 | |
|---|---|---|
| Published by | Japanese Standards Association | ISO, committee TC 61/SC 6 |
| History | First published 2000; revised 2006 and 2010; amended 2012 | First published 2007, based on JIS Z 2801; the 2011 edition extended the scope beyond plastics |
| Scope | Plastic, metal, ceramic and other non-porous antibacterial products | Plastics and other non-porous surfaces |
| Bacteria and conditions | S. aureus ATCC 6538P and E. coli ATCC 8739 · 0.4 mL under a 40 × 40 mm film · 35 °C, ≥ 90% RH, 24 h | Same |
| Pass mark | R ≥ 2.0 defines antibacterial efficacy | None set; R is reported |
| Usually specified by | Japanese and other Asian buyers, the SIAA mark, older specifications | International specifications and buyers in Europe and North America |
In Japan, the SIAA mark run by the Society of International sustaining growth for Antimicrobial Articles uses this method with an R of 2.0 or more, alongside safety and labelling rules. SIAA sets its own requirements for test laboratories, so check them before you commission data for an SIAA application.
What a JIS Z 2801 result can support
A passing result lets you state that your product was tested by Airmid Healthgroup to JIS Z 2801, with the R value for each bacterium.
The test conditions are deliberately favourable: a thin wet film, high humidity, 35 °C and a full day of contact. Real surfaces are usually drier, often soiled, and touched for seconds or minutes. A 2024 comparison of ISO 22196 with ISO 7581:2023, a newer method for surfaces used in a dry environment, found that wet test conditions can overestimate activity compared with dry exposure. Use JIS Z 2801 to show that a treatment works under standard conditions, and add a simulated-use study if your claim is about performance in use.
Data supports a claim; it does not make the claim lawful. In the EU, articles treated with a biocide are covered by Article 58 of the Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012. In the US, public-health claims for treated articles generally need EPA registration rather than the treated articles exemption. Check the claim wording for each market before launch.
Options beyond the standard method
- Additional bacteria. Other strains, such as S. aureus ATCC 6538 and E. coli ATCC 25922, and other organisms on request. These are reported as additions to the standard method.
- Modified conditions. Shorter contact times or lower humidity to reflect how the product is used, reported as deviations from the standard.
- Durability. Testing after cleaning, abrasion or ageing, to show that activity lasts over the product’s life.
- Dual reporting. One programme reported against both JIS Z 2801 and ISO 22196, where your specification allows it.
For a light-activated tile coating that fell outside existing standards, we adapted ISO 27447 to visible light and added MRSA and athlete’s foot fungus. Read the VitrA case study.
Ordering a test
- Specimens: flat, 50 × 50 mm, no more than 10 mm thick. Other sizes and shapes can sometimes be accommodated; ask us first.
- Quantity: for each bacterium, 3 treated and 6 untreated specimens. For both bacteria, that is 6 treated and 12 untreated. Please send a few spares of each.
- Untreated control: the same material, finish and process, without the antibacterial agent. A matched control is what makes R meaningful.
- Turnaround: 4 weeks from receipt of samples.
- Tell us: the active agent and its loading, which standard and edition the report should cite, and any extra organisms or modified conditions you need.
Frequently asked questions
What is JIS Z 2801?
JIS Z 2801 is the Japanese Industrial Standard Antibacterial products – Test for antibacterial activity and efficacy. It measures how many bacteria survive for 24 hours on an antibacterial-treated surface compared with an untreated one, and reports the difference as the antibacterial activity value, R.
Is JIS Z 2801 the same as ISO 22196?
ISO 22196 was developed from JIS Z 2801 and uses the same test method, bacteria and conditions. The main difference is that JIS Z 2801 defines an R value of 2.0 or more as antibacterial efficacy, while ISO 22196 reports R without setting a pass mark.
What counts as a pass in JIS Z 2801?
A product has antibacterial efficacy under JIS Z 2801 when its antibacterial activity value, R, is 2.0 or more for the test bacterium. An R of 2.0 means at least 99% fewer viable bacteria on the treated surface than on the untreated control after 24 hours.
How is the antibacterial activity value R calculated?
R = Ut − At, where Ut is the average logarithm of viable bacteria per cm² on the untreated specimens after 24 hours and At is the same figure for the treated specimens. Each whole unit of R is a tenfold difference in surviving bacteria.
Which bacteria are used in JIS Z 2801?
Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P (NBRC 12732) and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 (NBRC 3972). Each bacterium is tested separately and gets its own R value.
What materials can be tested to JIS Z 2801?
Antibacterial plastic, metal, ceramic and other non-porous products, including intermediate products. Textiles and photocatalytic materials are excluded and have their own standards.
Can JIS Z 2801 be used for textiles or light-activated surfaces?
No. Antibacterial textiles are tested to ISO 20743 or JIS L 1902, and photocatalytic materials to ISO 27447 or JIS R 1702. Airmid offers ISO 20743 and ISO 27447 testing.
Does JIS Z 2801 measure antiviral activity?
No. JIS Z 2801 measures antibacterial activity only. Antiviral activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces is measured with ISO 21702.
What samples does Airmid need for JIS Z 2801, and how long does testing take?
Flat 50 × 50 mm specimens up to 10 mm thick: for both bacteria, 6 treated and 12 untreated, plus a few spares. The untreated specimens should match the treated product without the antibacterial agent. Turnaround is 4 weeks from receipt of samples.
Is JIS Z 2801 still current?
Yes. JIS Z 2801:2010 with Amendment 1:2012 is the current edition and was reconfirmed in 2017. Its international counterpart, ISO 22196:2011, is also current.
Sources
- JIS Z 2801:2010, Antibacterial products – Test for antibacterial activity and efficacy, with Amendment 1:2012. Japanese Standards Association. ANSI Webstore
- ISO 22196:2011, Measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces. ISO
- NITE Biological Resource Center (NBRC), test strains specified in ISO and JIS standards. NITE
- ISO 7581:2023, Evaluation of bactericidal activity of a non-porous antimicrobial surface used in a dry environment. ISO
- Maitz S, Poelzl S, Dreisiebner D, Zarschenas E, Kittinger C. Antimicrobial non-porous surfaces: a comparison of the standards ISO 22196:2011 and the recently published ISO 7581:2023. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2024;15:1400265. Frontiers
- Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products. EUR-Lex
- US EPA, PRN 2000-1: Applicability of the Treated Articles Exemption to Antimicrobial Pesticides. EPA
Need JIS Z 2801 or ISO 22196 data?
Send us your product details and we will confirm specimen numbers, organisms and which standard to report against, then quote.
