Curtis and Xerox launch antibacterial paper to help combat superbugs

An antimicrobial document paper said to kill 99.9% of bacteria is set to be launched by Scottish speciality papermaker Curtis Fine Papers and Xerox.

The pair has teamed up to develop the paper, which can be printed without affecting its antibacterial capabilities. It will be targeted at hospitals, private healthcare organisations and GP surgeries.

Andrew Broad, custom solutions business manager for Xerox Office Supplies, said: "If by developing a range of antimicrobial papers, we can play a part in preventing the spread of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA, then we are achieving our objective in a critically important situation."

As well as MRSA and E.coli, the paper has been shown to be effective against Salmonella, Listeria, Pseudomonas and C.difficile. It has been tested according to the Japanese Standard Test (JISZ2801).

Jane Banks, product development manager at Curtis Fine Papers, said: "The test results were excellent, showing that 99.9% of bacteria in the surface of the paper are killed after six hours in contact with the product."