(HealthDay) --- A gleaming stainless steel kitchen can be very appealing -- clean, functional and almost antiseptic. With all the warnings about how counters and wood-cutting boards can harbor dangerous bacteria from food, stainless steel seems the way to go, right?
Maybe not.
The BBC reports that copper seems to be a safer material for cooking areas. The research was done to find better ways to make food preparation safer in restaurants, but the conclusions can apply everywhere.
The news service says researchers at the University of Southampton have found copper has properties that actually kill such bacteria as E. coli. Bacteria on copper dies within four hours at room temperature. On stainless steel, bacteria takes more than a month to die.
Bill Keevil, the professor in charge of the research, recommends that copper be used in sinks and on counter surfaces to prevent outbreaks of food-borne illness.
And don't think that keeping the kitchen bacteria-free is a problem only for commercial food preparers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the facts on E. coli and tips on keeping your kitchen clean.
The Soap and Detergent Association also has some tips that include the importance of using disinfectant, not just soap and water, on surfaces that come into contact with meat, fish and poultry.
