FOR COUNTER CLEANLINESS- GRANITE IS THE WAY TO GO       If you are concerned about bacterial contamination of your kitchen countertop, it looks like stainless steel and granite are the way to go.       That's what a recent study by the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, a St. Paul Minnesota-based organization that develops educational materials and research for the retail food industry shows.      The study measured the bacteria resistance capacity of six common countertop materials. Each surface was contaminated with E-coli (nearly 2 billion of the microorganisms), washed and rinsed with soap and water and then sanitized with a vinegar-and-water solution. The results are shown in the table below.

Surface Microorganisms ELIMINATED by Cleaning
Stainless Steel Granite Plastic Laminate Tile Concrete Wood	85,113,804 79,432,823 498,884 293,765 32,810 2,080

Dr. O. Peter Snyder, Jr. who conducted the study says, "We hope our research will help consumers make healthy decisions when selecting a countertop surface for their kitchen." Dr. O. Peter Snyder, Jr., has educated thousands of executives, owners, chefs, employees, and home food preparers in recipe hazard analysis and self-control procedures for producing safe food and is the president of Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management Source: Today's Homeowner Magazine