Food Poisoning: Why You Should Have Multiple Cutting Boards at Home
"Cross-contamination"? It's the "process by which microbes are inadvertently transferred from one substance or object to another, with a harmful effect," explains the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). A cutting board that you use for all food is therefore a particularly risky utensil. This applies regardless of the material used.
So how can you avoid these contaminations? Washing and drying your board thoroughly after each cutting operation is certainly an option, but it's rather tedious and not really compatible with preparing a meal. The ideal is therefore to invest in several boards, and why not in different colors, like in some professional kitchens.
Red board for meat, blue for fish, yellow for poultry, green for fruits and vegetables, brown for roasts... If you opt for this solution, you won't have a choice of material: your boards will be made of plastic. Advantage: they are dishwasher-safe and less bulky than wooden ones. Disadvantage: they scratch easily (and retain more bacteria).
Another option if you don't want to invest in a whole set of cutting boards: you can simply "reserve one for raw meat and fish, and another for cooked products and clean vegetables," advises ANSES. To make your boards last, be sure to clean them thoroughly with hot water and dish soap. Scrub them with a brush and let them air dry thoroughly.
Note: Wood seems to be the material that offers the best guarantee of hygiene. Provided you choose boards made of hardwood (but not too hard to damage your knives), such as beech, walnut, or maple.
SudOuest
