Leveraging the public’s recent obsession with anti-bacterial products and its concern over diseases such as those caused by E-Coli bacteria and the Hong Kong ‘chicken’ virus, Belvedere International is introducing a germ-killing hand sanitizer to the anti-bacterial hand-soap category.

The clear liquid is a blend of ethyl, (a by-product of alcohol), aloe vera and a variety of emollients and thickeners, according to Cathy Wysocki, product manager at the Mississauga, Ont.-based health and beauty product company.

While the ethyl cleans away the germs, she says, the aloe vera leaves hands feeling smooth.

The One Step Hand Sanitizer is said to kill 99.9% of disease-causing germs within seconds. There is no need for water. The product is simply rubbed between the hands and it evaporates, leaving a slightly boozy odor that fades to a scent of aloe vera.

While it might be compared to other anti-bacterial products on the market, One Step is more effective, says Wysocki.

‘Where anti-bacterial products will `help kill’ germs, this product kills all germs,’ she says.

According to ACNielsen, the anti-bacterial market grossed more than $7 million last year.

First developed in the u.s. for medical professionals, the Canadian version of One Step has been approved by the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada and will be available in drugstores across the country at the end of February.

Wysocki says medical professionals agree germ-causing viruses are passed on through hands, so it is vital to keep them clean. Some of the common disease-causing germs that One Step are said to kill are: E-Coli, Influenza A2 (Hong Kong) Virus, and Salmonella Enteriditis.

One Step’s target market is relatively broad, says Wysocki, and includes travelers, day-care staff, teachers, grocery store and restaurant personnel, flight attendants and salespeople – anyone, basically, who comes in contact with people and food, especially when soap and water are not readily available.

While the packaging is still in the mock-up stage, sizes will include a handy 44-millilitre purse/jacket size, a 237-millilitre pump, with the largest container holding 473 millilitres. Suggested retail prices, according to company literature, are $1.49, $3.99, and $6.99 respectively.

Belvedere handles advertising in-house. A national program for One Step, consisting of trade and consumer print advertising, is expected this spring. Point-of-purchase items, floor stands and counter merchandisers will also be used.