need a cutting board: plastic or wood?

[xSauronx]

so im starting to cook more, got me some nice knives but i need a cutting board. i have a relatively small glas one that i dont like, and want to replace.

ive heard some people reccomend wood, and that was my first thought. others have said not to get wood, because it can soak up stuff when cutting meat and what not (salmonella and the lke) and that i should get a thick plastic board

im not sure about this thing with wood, id rather have a large wood one but is there any truth that it could pose a health problem? its not like id just leave it there with meat juices on it, i keep my kitchen rather clean.

what should i get? what do you have and like/dislike?

 

[zimu]

i'm still for wood, just have to clean it better. true it "soaks up" stuff over time, but the plastic, regardless of thickness, will get scruffs and scratches much faster.

 

[Chiropteran]

Wood.

 

[ScottyB]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
so im starting to cook more, got me some nice knives but i need a cutting board. i have a relatively small glas one that i dont like, and want to replace.

ive heard some people reccomend wood, and that was my first thought. others have said not to get wood, because it can soak up stuff when cutting meat and what not (salmonella and the lke) and that i should get a thick plastic board

im not sure about this thing with wood, id rather have a large wood one but is there any truth that it could pose a health problem? its not like id just leave it there with meat juices on it, i keep my kitchen rather clean.

what should i get? what do you have and like/dislike?

Just don't get a cheap wood one and make sure to wipe it down with soapy water if you cut meat on it.

 

[Blain]

Polyethylene

 

[FortFunFoSho]

Unless you get a really thick plastic one they seem to always warp on me....

 

[Kenazo]

plastic is more sanitary. just toss it in the dishwasher and it's good as new, though cut up

 

[aircooled]

people seem to forget that plastic is also a porous material and has the ability to absorb. Whether you choose wood or plastic they both need cleaned well between use.

I prefer wood but have a plastic one at the moment.

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
plastic is more sanitary. just toss it in the dishwasher and it's good as new, though cut up

Don't think so:


?You should use a hard wood cutting board for the sake of your knives and for sanitary reasons. The myth is that wooden boards are so porous that harmful organisms such as salmonella, e-coli and listeria soak in, are hard to remove, and easily contaminate other foods placed upon it later. The myth has been compounded with the belief that plastic, because it is not porous, can be more easily and safely cleaned. These beliefs were so widely held by everyone including health officials that no one actually bothered to test them until 1993. Microbiologists at the University of Wisconsin's Food Research Institute contaminated wooden cutting boards and plastic ones with all bacteria that cause food poisoning.... Guess what? Without washing, without touching it, the bacteria on the wooden board died off in three minutes. On the plastic board? The bacteria remained and actually multiplied overnight. It seems wood has a natural bacteria-killing property, plastic and glass don't.?

So I put away all my gorgeous wooden cutting boards and only worked on plastic. Then I received an email from Jarvis who graduated from University of Wisconsin many years ago with a Food Science and Foodservice Masters. He was a licensed instructor for his health department's sanitation course before he switched professions and said,

?Many years ago, I read the report you mentioned on your web site regarding wood vs. plastic cutting board. The result totally contradicted what we were taught (and taught to our students). We serious doubted the methodology used for the research. However we were switching our profession and were too lazy to search the original paper to find out the truth. After I read your web, I decided to search for further document and found the following report. I hope that you can change your article on the web site or at least to have this newer report listed at the same page. Thank you.?

The report was from Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, the University of Arizona and said: One study reported that new wooden boards had antimicrobial qualities while plastic cutting boards trapped bacteria. However, more recent studies by the Food and Drug Administration found that microorganisms became trapped in wood surfaces and were difficult to dislodge by rinsing. Once trapped, bacteria survive in a dormant stage for long periods of time. The next time the cutting board is used; these bacteria could contaminate other foods, potentially causing food-borne illness. On the other hand, the study found that microorganisms were easily washed off plastic surfaces. http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/foodsafety/az1076.html

OK, are you totally confused yet? I decided to do some of my own research on the Internet and here are some other points of view:

From Karen Penner, Ph.D., Extension Specialist, Food Science, 2/94: The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture has concluded that the use of plastic cutting boards over those made of wood is still the best approach. The researchers reported that wooden cutting boards contained more organisms from temperature-abused meat when compared to boards made of plastic. Other studies had reported that certain woods contain natural antimicrobial agents. The ARS study, however, found higher bacterial levels on wooden cutting boards regardless of contact time. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_fnut/_timely/WOODVP.HTM

This came from the Michigan Maple Block web site: Why wood: Now wood?s back in vogue, and I couldn't be happier. According to a scientific study published in 1994 focusing on home kitchens, bacteria don't care for wood. When deposited on several kinds of wood and left alone, food poison contaminants e. coli, listeria, and salmonella, disappeared (99.9% gone!) over time. Plastic doesn't seem to have this antibacterial effect. http:www.mapleblock.com/cuttingboard.html

From Patrick J. Bird, Ph.D. at the University of Florida, 1998 ?Although the Food and Drug Administration has long recommended plastic cutting boards, based on the observation that it not as hard to clean plastic as porous wood, new information shows that wood cutting boards are actually safer than the plastic or so-called anti-bacterial kind.

About four years ago, it was discovered that it is easier to recover live bacteria from a plastic cutting board than from one made of wood. This because through the capillary action of dry wood, germs quickly disappear beneath the surface of the board, leaving the exposed area free of microbes. In contrast, bacteria sit on the hard plastic cutting board surface, ready to attack the next food item. Also, hand scrubbing with hot water and soap can clear microbes from the surface of new or used wooden cutting boards and new plastic ones, but knife-scared plastic boards are resistant to decontamination by hand washing." http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/keepingfit/ARTICLE/BOARDS.HTM

So where does this all leave the Reluctant Gourmet? I will use my plastic cutting board for large cutting jobs and my wooden one for smaller ones. Bottom Line - No matter what you use, keep them clean!

I can't promise I can be as diligent as the Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, the University of Arizona suggests below, but I can commit to being more aware of how I clean and store them. They suggest:

Keep all cutting boards clean by washing with hot soapy water and a brush after each use. Then rinse and air-dry or pat dry with paper towels. Non-porous acrylic, plastic, glass, and solid wood boards can be washed in an automatic dishwasher.

Sanitize both wood and plastic cutting boards with a diluted chlorine bleach or vinegar solution consisting of one teaspoon of liquid chlorine bleach in one quart of water or a one to five dilution of vinegar. Flood the surface with a sanitizing solution and allow it to stand for several minutes, then rinse and air-dry or pat dry with paper towels.

Discard excessively worn cutting boards.

Use a separate cutting board and knives for raw foods that require cooking. For example, use one for meat, poultry, or fish, and another for cooked or ready-to-eat foods such as salad, vegetables, and breads.

 

[Kenazo]

interesting. I stand corrected.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
interesting. I stand corrected.

Not really.
Sounds to me like there are still differing opinions.
Of course, the nice thing about plastic is you can toss it in the dishwasher and the bacteria should be killed by the heat.

 

Either or, just clean it properly.

I just read an article that said the cleanest kitchens were thoes of bachelors, where things were not wiped down constantly.
So no bacteria spread.

Very interesting and ironic.

 

[xSauronx]

no dishwasher, thikning wood, ill just look around. whatever i get i keep clean so it sounds like its going to be based on what i want, or want to spend perhaps, oh well

 

[ScottyB]

Originally posted by: SampSon
Either or, just clean it properly.

I just read an article that said the cleanest kitchens were thoes of bachelors, where things were not wiped down constantly.
So no bacteria spread.

Very interesting and ironic.

Mine must be really clean then.

 

[novon]

plastic or die...seriously wood will get full of bacteria

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: novon
plastic or die...seriously wood will get full of bacteria

and yet all these chefs i see on tv use wood, another reason why i thought that argument was lousy. why would they keep using wood if it keeps getting people sick? surely these guys know what theyre doing...and how many people get sick or die from eating their food

 

[AmericasTeam]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
no dishwasher, thikning wood, ill just look around. whatever i get i keep clean so it sounds like its going to be based on what i want, or want to spend perhaps, oh well

Amazing how confused one can get when a post lacks correct spelling and punctuation.

 

[Sid59]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: novon
plastic or die...seriously wood will get full of bacteria

and yet all these chefs i see on tv use wood, another reason why i thought that argument was lousy. why would they keep using wood if it keeps getting people sick? surely these guys know what theyre doing...and how many people get sick or die from eating their food

they use it because it looks good on TV. plus, they prolly have helper monkeys that will scrub and clean till it's good to go. more often than not, those TV chefs don't cook food all the time. they say, " brown until blah blah .. but we don't have time so we are gonna throw in the vegetables now..."

people at home are lazier and if it looks clean, it's clean.

 

[OffTopic1]

I prefer wood over plastic because it is easier on my knives. There are 2 camps on the cutting boards, however they both agree on cleanliness. As a cleaning precaution, I have a spray bottle of 5% bleach next to the dish soap that I use to clean my utensils & cutting boards.

 

[bradruth]

I prefer plastic.

 

[digitalsm]

 

[SagaLore]

Plastic. Wood is a bacteria sponge.

 

[Rakkis]

whatever you do, get rid of the glass one. it's owning your nice knives

 

[shimsham]

we've used a glass one for over a year now, and i prefer it over plastic or wood. havent noticed my knives getting any duller, but i keep them sharp anyway.

 

[Lvis]

Sundog has it right.


Wood is the way to go.