Which Should You Choose?

Pretty much everything that encounters your food can be a source of contamination or foodborne illness, and your cutting board is no exception. For example, you must prepare your food and start cutting raw chicken on your cutting board, followed by slicing an onion for your salad. You would now be faced with the risk of cross-contamination due to bacteria that can easily transfer from your chicken to your veggies. Even fruits and vegetables can contain different pathogens which can transfer between cutting boards if not washed after use. So, to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses, we have prepared some things you should know about your cutting board!

Plastic vs Wood 

Plastic cutting boards are much easier to sanitize but cutting on them will leave indents where bacteria can start to gather. Hardwood is much more durable due to its self-restoring ability and low risk of bacteria growth.

Maintaining Your Cutting Board

Both plastic and wood cutting boards have different characteristics, and therefore must be maintained on different levels. For example, plastic cutting boards can be washed with a dishwasher, while high temperatures as such would quickly ruin a hardwood board. 

When washing your wood cutting board by hand, keep the following in mind:

·      Rinse the cutting board carefully with warm water.

·      Clean the cutting board with both soap and water to put a stop to bacteria growth.

·      Sanitize the cutting board using vinegar or salt and lemon.

·      Treat the cutting board regularly with mineral oil or beeswax conditioner.

Check out our wood species and care page for more information.

Have you finally decided that hardwood is the way to go? Contact us today for a quote and let us help you find exactly what you are looking for.