Article 25712 of rec.woodworking:
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Message-ID: <93Oct25.171526cdt.74197@utdallas.edu>
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 16:57:36 -0500
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From: Jeff Roberts <JROBERTS@UTDALLAS.BITNET>
Subject: Cutting board: plastic vs wood
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I know this subject has come up many times before, but here is a little
info. from the Dallas Morning News today:

                        SAFE CUTTING BOARDS

For decades, cooks have taken it on faith that plastic cutting boards are
safer than wooden ones, the thinking being that plastic inhibits the growth
of bacteria and wood doesn't.  But it just isn't so.  Microbiologists from
the University of Wisconsin tested cutting boards made from seven different
species of tree and four kinds of plastic.  They found that a good way to
get food poisoning is to slice bad meat or fish on a plastic cutting board
and then use it to chop vegetables.  Bacteria stayed very much alive on the
plastic surfaces, but died within three minutes on the wooden boards.  The
researchers speculate that wood contains some sort of compound that kills
bacteria..

Seems to me that putting any type of finish on your cutting board may inhibit
this killing effect (if it is true, I'm kinda skeptical about guys who study
cutting boards for a living anyway, but hey, who knew?)

Jeff Roberts JROBERTS@UTDALLAS.EDU


