Antimicrobial copper has been used to a develop a new germ-busting supermarket trolley being rolled out in South America.

Varanda Frutas, a gourmet supermarket in Sao Paulo, Brazil, uses antimicrobial copper in brass handles to help reduce the spread of disease-causing pathogens.

The material is claimed to be effective against the spread of a host of nasties, including Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter pylori, Listeria monocytogenes, MRSA, Norovirus, Salmonella enteritidis and E.coli.

Surfaces made from solid antimicrobial copper are used by healthcare facilities around the world to reduce the spread of infections such as MRSA.

“Our main aim is to protect our customers’ health by reducing bacteria and viruses on these surfaces,” said marketing manager for Varanda Frutas Mauricio Chairvolotti.

Varanda Frutas uses brass - an alloy of copper and zinc - to continuously eliminate bacteria and viruses on the handles. The material is also used in subway stations and trains in Chile, buses in Beijing and childcare centres in Japan.

This is not the first attempt to reduce the spread of germs via supermarket trolleys. In 2012, VanCom AntiBac, a UK developer of antibacterial applications, launched a transparent film that could fit around trolley handles. The film used silver ion technology to prevent bacteria from living on trolleys. The company said at the time that the coating would last five years and even suggested retailers could sell advertising on the film.

However, despite widespread coverage in national print and broadcast media, founder Mark Doherty said he only received one response from his approaches to the UK supermarkets and this did not result in the product being taken up.

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