News — chopping boards

If you want the safest, most practical option for raw meat at home, a dedicated wooden chopping board that is properly cleaned and dried after each use is usually better than a plastic board. Studies have shown that bacteria on hardwood and bamboo boards can reduce by up to 99% within a few hours as moisture is drawn into the fibres, while plastic boards often hold bacteria in knife scars unless they’re replaced every 1 to 2 years. Wood vs plastic for raw meat: the clear differences So is a wooden or plastic chopping board better for raw meat in...

If you want the safest wood for a chopping board in a busy kitchen, hard maple comes out on top for hygiene and knife friendliness, but high quality Moso bamboo and dense acacia wood are equally safe for everyday home cooking when they are sealed, pre oiled and cared for properly. Bamboo, acacia or maple: which is actually safest? Safety with chopping boards is about three things: how deep the knife cuts go, how much moisture the wood absorbs and how easy it is to clean. All three affect how bacteria behave on the surface. Maple (usually hard maple) has...

If you are wondering why chefs use colour coded chopping boards in the UK, the short answer is food safety: using at least 4 different boards (for example red for raw meat, blue for fish, green for vegetables and yellow for cooked foods) can cut cross contamination risk dramatically and help you meet UK Food Standards Agency guidance in a busy kitchen. Why do chefs use colour coded chopping boards in the UK? Professional chefs in the UK use colour coded chopping boards to control bacteria, stay compliant with food hygiene rules and work faster on busy services. Each colour...

If you want to know how to disinfect a plastic chopping board after raw chicken, the safest home method is a 2 step process: first scrub with hot soapy water for at least 30 seconds, then soak or wipe the board with a disinfecting solution of 80 ml household bleach in 1 litre of cold water for 5 minutes before rinsing and air drying upright. Why disinfecting after raw chicken matters Raw chicken can carry bacteria such as Campylobacter and Salmonella. These can transfer to your knife, hands and plastic cutting board, then on to salad, fruit or cooked food....