News — kitchen hygiene

If you cook meat at home more than once a month, then yes, you do need a separate board for raw meat. Food Standards Agency guidance and NHS advice both recommend using at least 2 chopping boards: one for raw meat, poultry and fish, and one for ready to eat foods like bread, fruit and salad, to cut the risk of food poisoning bacteria spreading around your kitchen. Why you need a separate board for raw meat Raw chicken can carry Campylobacter, raw mince can carry E. coli, and raw pork can carry Salmonella. These bacteria are easily transferred from...

If you cook raw meat at home and want the safest option, the most practical setup is one plastic board used only for raw meat plus one quality wooden board for everything else. Plastic is easier to sanitise at high temperatures, while a good wooden board such as a 45x35cm bamboo or acacia board from Deer & Oak typically lasts 5 to 10 years with regular care. Plastic vs wood cutting board raw meat: quick answer For raw meat alone, a dedicated plastic cutting board is usually the safest and most convenient choice because you can put it in a...

If you soak a wooden cutting board in water for longer than about 5 to 10 minutes, the fibres start to swell, the board can warp or crack, and its lifespan can drop from 5 to 10 years down to just a year or two. So the best way to clean a wooden board is a quick wash with hot soapy water, a rinse, then drying it upright, not leaving it submerged. Why can't I soak a wooden cutting board in water? Wood is not like plastic or glass. It is a natural, porous material that moves when it absorbs...

If you are wondering what the best chopping board is for a safer, cleaner kitchen, the short answer is this: a well sealed wooden board used correctly can cut bacterial transfer by more than half compared with a deeply scarred plastic board. Chopping boards become a breeding ground for bacteria when cuts, moisture and food residue sit together for longer than 20 to 30 minutes, giving microbes like E. coli and salmonella exactly what they need to multiply. Why are chopping boards a breeding ground for bacteria? Your chopping board or cutting board is one of the busiest surfaces in...