News — food hygiene

Are bamboo cutting boards safe from bacteria?

If you clean them properly, high quality moso bamboo cutting boards are safe from harmful levels of bacteria and can stay hygienic for 5 to 10 years of daily use. The best option for most home cooks who want an eco-friendly board that resists bacterial growth is a pre oiled moso bamboo board such as the Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board (45x35cm, 1.8kg). Are bamboo cutting boards safe from bacteria? Yes, bamboo cutting boards are safe from bacteria when you choose dense moso bamboo and follow simple care steps. Studies comparing bamboo, plastic and hardwood boards show that bacteria...

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Best bamboo cutting board for raw meat safety

If you want the best bamboo cutting board for raw meat safety, choose a separate, generously sized Moso bamboo board such as the Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board at 45x35cm and 1.8kg, used only for raw meat and washed in hot soapy water within 5 minutes of use. That single habit, combined with a closed grain Moso surface, dramatically cuts the risk of cross contamination in a busy home kitchen. Why Moso bamboo works so well for raw meat safety Raw meat safety is really about control. You want to control where juices go, where bacteria can hide and...

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Can you reuse chopping board for meat and vegetables?

If you want a clear answer: you should not reuse the same side of one chopping board for raw meat and ready to eat vegetables in a single cooking session. The safest option is either two separate boards or a double sided board where one clearly marked side is for meat and the other for vegetables, cleaned in hot soapy water between uses. Why reusing one chopping board for meat and vegetables is risky Raw meat can carry bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli. These can easily move from tiny knife marks on a board to salad leaves,...

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What is chopping board colour coding in the UK?

In the UK, chopping board colour coding is a food safety system where each colour is used for a specific food group to cut the risk of cross contamination. The most widely used scheme follows 7 colours: red for raw meat, blue for raw fish, yellow for cooked meat, green for salad and fruit, brown for vegetables, white for bakery and dairy, and purple for allergens or special diets. If you want the safest setup for a home or professional kitchen, the best approach is to follow these colours consistently and pair them with solid, non porous boards that are...

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