Wrigley also agreed to remove labeling on the products that indicates they kill germs.

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Officials also endorsed a controversial proposal for using irradiation to kill germs in meat.

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The nonalcohol antimicrobials which are in a chemical family called quaternary ammonium compounds, or "quats" do kill germs, scientists say.

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Scientists at the University of Glasgow have developed a prototype plasma device which creates ozone to kill germs in packaged food.

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Earlier this year, Jandira Barone, owner of denim company Tristar, made headlines when she suggested a water-free denim cleanse throwing jeans into the freezer to kill germs.

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Silver nanoparticles may come in handy wherever you want to kill germs for instance, in things as diverse as children's dummies (comforters to Americans), teddy bears, washing machines, chopsticks and bed linen.

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Unlike chemotherapy, which uses chemicals to poison cancer cells, Rituxan's monoclonal antibody kills tumor cells much as the body's own antibodies kill invading germs.

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Even if they do kill pathogens in the nose, germs can still enter through the eyes and mouth, Dr. Tierno says.

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Infected incisions are particularly dangerous as hospital germs are more likely to be resistant to antibiotics that doctors use to kill them off.

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