The XGerminator, a new sanitizing product made for grocery checkouts, might be the new wave of technology supermarkets have been searching for.
Real estate agent, Alyssa Mincer came to the idea of the XGERMINATOR when considering alternatives to wiping down her groceries.
After coming across research that showed UV-C technology being used to sanitize cell phones, she considered whether or not the same technology could be used on common household items and groceries.
Mincer called on former CEO of Brodflour, Dara Gallinger, to help her develop the idea.
With five years of experience as the director of marketing and merchandising at Sobeys Inc., Gallinger knew that there would be some pushback on the new product, but believes that with the right technology, this could be an undeniably helpful product.
“The grocery retail environment is very finicky, you have to consider the entire customer journey when you bring a new service into a store,” says Gallinger.
In order to ensure the sanitization process was nearly flawless and could seamlessly integrate into the grocery experience, the XGERMINATOR team enlisted help from EIP health-care company, Prescientx.
The Ontario-based manufacturing company is known for its leading disinfecting technology used in hospitals and laboratories.
Together, they have developed the XGERMINATOR, a machine that exposes groceries to a high level of UV-C germicidal light at checkout which inactivates pathogens on your groceries.
The enclosed conveyor belt will be built into grocery checkout counters and promises to deliver 99.9 per cent surface sanitization in 30 seconds during the grocery checkout process.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the new normal begins to set in, Mincer and Gallinger hope this product will minimize the anxiety levels that have recently been associated with a trip to the grocery store. Further, they hope that by nearly eliminating the bacteria and microorganisms on groceries in a swift manner, the XGERMINATOR will help to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“We believe XGERMINATOR will become an essential service that the grocery store will have to provide to their customers,” says Mincer.
Being that the XGERMINATOR is integrated into the last point of sale (POS) in the grocery experience, this product creates one of the most low-risk sanitizing experiences for customers, guaranteeing that 99 per cent of their groceries have been rid of bacteria, illness and viruses before exiting the store.
The XGERMINATOR will get its first test run in the Annex location of Summerhill Market starting Wednesday, May 20. The UV-C machine will operate in one checkout aisle until June 1.