Does Granite Harbor Bacteria?
No. There is a report circulating that granite countertops are unsafe, harbor bacteria and can produce disease. This is absolutely FALSE. NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have no reports of granite or any other stone used as a countertop as being unsafe. These rumors are being circulated by the Solid Surface Industry in an attempt to compete with the stone industry. Think about this for a moment, if stone was unsafe and unsanitary why would there be cutting boards sold made of stone. Why would stone be used in food laboratories. There has been no known proof of any illness caused by using stone as a countertop.
Granite continues to be used and approved in food and medical applications. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has no records of granite harboring bacteria, and has no reports of people becoming ill from bacteria in granite. With regular cleaning, granite is far less likely to support bacteria than butcher block or even laminated materials with top-mounted sinks. This claim has also been tested by the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management. Their article can be found at www.hi-tm.com under “Publications and Reports.
Granite continues to be used and approved in food and medical applications. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has no records of granite harboring bacteria, and has no reports of people becoming ill from bacteria in granite. With regular cleaning, granite is far less likely to support bacteria than butcher block or even laminated materials with top-mounted sinks.
