News — kitchen safety

If you are wondering whether wooden cutting boards can harbour bacteria, the short answer is yes, any board can, but good quality wooden and bamboo boards that are cleaned within 10 minutes and dried upright typically show lower live bacteria levels than plastic boards with deep knife scars. The safest option for everyday home cooking is a well sealed wooden or bamboo board, used with simple habits like separate boards for meat and veg, hot soapy water and regular oiling. Do wooden cutting boards really harbour more bacteria? It is a common worry, especially if you cook meat or prepare...

If you care about food safety, a high quality wooden board is usually more hygienic than a plastic board after 12 to 24 months of regular use, because wood naturally traps and dries out bacteria while plastic develops deep knife grooves that are hard to clean. Wooden vs plastic cutting board for hygiene: the short answer If you want the most hygienic everyday option, choose sealed hardwood or bamboo for raw meat, vegetables and bread, then wash with hot soapy water after each use. Plastic boards can be very hygienic for the first few months, especially in commercial kitchens with...

If you want the best heavy wooden cutting board for raw chicken38x28cm and a weight of around 1.5kg to 2.1kg. In the Deer & Oak range, the Large Acacia Board (45x35cm, 2.1kg, SKU DNO-ACB-LG) is the top pick for handling raw chicken safely and comfortably, because it is heavy, stable and large enough to contain juices. Why a heavy wooden board works well for raw chicken There is a lot of debate about whether raw chicken should go on wood or plastic. Modern food safety research shows that properly sealed hardwood boards are safe for raw meat when you follow...

If you clean and replace boards correctly, high quality wood is usually more hygienic than plastic for cutting boards. Studies from food safety bodies show that bacteria on hardwood and bamboo boards can drop by up to 98% within a few hours as moisture is drawn into the wood fibres, while plastic boards often keep bacteria in deep knife scars until they are fully scrubbed or replaced. Wood vs plastic: what actually happens to bacteria When you slice chicken, beef or fish, you leave a thin film of protein, fat and liquid on the board. What happens next depends on...