In the UK, a new form of steel that resists bacteria is under development at steelmaker Corus, in co-operation with the US company Microban.

The two companies say their new product, Assure, will be the first sheet steel with an anti-bacterial coating - a product that has a variety of potential applications within the food processing industry.

According to the companies, the steel is produced as any conventional galvanised sheet steel, in coil form, then coated with either polymer film or wet paint containing the Microban anti-bacterial ingredient. This gradually permeates the polymer structure of the coating, staying within the intermolecular spaces of the polymer.

The result is that the coating does not lose its anti-bacterial properties as it wears off the surface, a problem that has plagued similar efforts in the past.

The companies say the coating inhibits growth of the four most common germs found in food production environments: salmonella, E. coli, listeria and staphylococcus. It will be used to make clean-room environments and food production units, while consumers will see it in washing machine and fridge casings, and other "high touch" domestic appliances.