News — kitchen hygiene

Yes, you can reuse a chopping board after preparing chicken, but only after a proper clean that removes at least 99.9% of bacteria. In practical terms that means washing the board in hot water at around 60–70°C with washing up liquid, scrubbing for at least 30 seconds, then drying it upright for at least 20 minutes. If you want to prep salad or bread straight after raw chicken, the safest option is to keep a second dedicated board for ready to eat food. Why raw chicken is risky for your chopping board Raw chicken can carry Campylobacter and Salmonella. Both...

If you want to avoid cross contamination, the standard kitchen colour code is: red chopping board for raw meat and green chopping board for vegetables and salad. Many professional kitchens in the UK follow this exact system so staff can see at a glance which board to reach for. Understanding chopping board colour codes in the kitchen Colour coded cutting boards exist for one main reason: food safety. Raw meat can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, which you really do not want on your lettuce or carrots. By always using red for raw meat and green for...

If you want to keep meat and veg completely separate, the most reliable setup is to use two boards of different sizes or colours. For most British kitchens, a very practical choice is pairing the Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board 45x35cm for meat with the Medium Bamboo Board 38x28cm for vegetables, giving you 2 dedicated boards, 83x35cm of total prep space and 3.0kg combined weight when bought as the Bamboo Double Pack. Why you should never use one chopping board for both meat and veg Raw meat carries bacteria that you simply do not want on your salad, herbs...

If you cook meat at home and want to know what is safest and most practical, the short answer is this: use a dedicated plastic board for raw meat and a high quality wood or bamboo board, such as the 45x35cm Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board, for carving and serving cooked meat. This two board set up keeps bacteria under control, protects your knives and gives you boards that last 5 to 10 years with simple care. Plastic vs wood cutting board for meat: the clear answer When people ask “what is the best cutting board for meat”, they...