Cutting boards can hold bacteria.
Cutting boards make kitchen work easier, but they can also make diners sick. Bacteria on the surface or inside tiny grooves in the board can cause illnesses. Does this Spark an idea?
General Concern
As cutting boards receive hundreds of slices from cutting knives, the resulting grooves or cracks can become home to dangerous bacteria. According to Mississippi State University, seafood and other raw meats pose particular danger of contagion.
Differences in Materials
Boards made from relatively non-porous materials trap less bacteria than more porous boards. Mississippi State University notes that plastics and hard woods resist scratches and grooves relatively well, making them more sanitary in daily use.
Prevention/Solution
According to Shelley Feist of The Partnership for Food Safety Education, cooks should replace cutting boards that have become deeply grooved from repeated use. They should also clean their cutting boards in a weak solution of chlorine bleach to remove any lingering bacteria. Feist also recommends using different cutting boards for different types of meat to limit bacterial exposure across foods.
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