Which Kind of Cutting Board Is Safest for Cutting Meat & Poultry?

Plastic is easier to clean and non-porous, but can harbor more bacteria than wood

Bacteria Can Live Inside Wood

Unlike plastic, which is non-porous, bacteria on meat and poultry, particularly salmonella, can penetrate below a wood cutting board surface. On plastic cutting boards, the user only needs to worry about cleaning and sanitizing the surface.

Plastic Becomes More Difficult to Sanitize

Over time, a plastic surface becomes riddled with knife cuts, and bacteria can multiply within these grooves. Once its established in these grooves, the bacteria is almost impossible to remove, even in the dishwasher. Wood cutting boards do not to be replaced as frequently, as any bacteria on the surface, even in knife grooves, can be killed through cleaning.

Bottom Line

Dean O. Cliver PhD, summing up a California-Davis Food Safety Laboratory study on the two boards, wrote "wooden cutting boards are not a hazard to human health, but plastic cutting boards may be."

References

• UC-Davis Food Safety Laboratory: Cutting Board Research