ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

An antibacterial coating that can be applied to granite and other stone surfaces has been developed by a quarry and stone curator.

Made in Italy by Antolini, A Zerobact is intended for use on hard surfaces in food preparation areas.

"The A Zerobact treatment prevents the growth of bacteria and mould on natural stone making it safe to consume food straight from the stone itself," according to the company. "We term it ‘an invisible innovation" because instead of adding a layer to the surface, it seeps in and doesn't alter the colours or the properties of natural stone."

Antolini claims the antibacterial treatment is applied "by a process based on ionisation" and that a layer of sealant can be applied over it. Surfaces treated with A Zerobact can be cleaned using soap and water.

A Zerobact is said to be stable which means it is unaffected by external agents including UV rays. It carries a range of food safety certificates including EU for Food Contact Safety.

Antolini claims to be the first company to apply a bacteriostatic treatment to natural stone surfaces. However, antibacterial technology has been available for stainless steel surfaces since 2011 following a breakthrough at the University of Birmingham.

Engineers discovered that by introducing silver or copper into the steel rather than coating it on to the surface they could produce a material that would kill bacteria while also being resistant to wear and tear.

And manufacturer Silestone has pioneered a technique that incorporates silver ions into its quartz countertops surfaces, again producing an antibacterial effect.