How do you choose a cutting board? Do you go with plastic or wood? Which cutting board is safer?
You might be surprised to know that wooden cutting boards are the top choice. They have been shown to cause very little harm compared to plastic boards. A study out of UC-Davis found that people who use wooden cutting boards benefited. They were less than half as likely as average to contract salmonellosis than those using synthetic (plastic or glass) cutting boards.
According to Dean O. Cliver, PhD, professor emeritus of food safety at the University of California, Davis, wooden cutting boards don’t harbor bacteria. “It’s been suggested that bacteria being slurped down in wood could reappear if you scored the wood with a knife.” However, the bacteria never reappeared on the surface. In fact, the bacteria dies and does not reappear, anywhere. Plastic boards don’t allow the bacteria to die and the bacteria is redeposited elsewhere, like inside the dishwasher.
Soap and hot water are the best for getting rid of germs from cutting boards. If they fit, boards can be placed in the dishwasher. Basically, you need to wash your cutting boards well.
No matter what kind of cutting board you choose, use one for meat and one for vegetables and fruit. Even though you may clean everything well, it is safer to have separate cutting boards.
Wooden or Plastic?
