The thought that wooden cutting boards hold bacteria longer may not be true—in fact, the plastic cutting board in your kitchen could be doing more harm than good, an expert told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
Chemical additives like Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and polyvinyl chloride are found in plastic and are known to cause certain cancers, according to the Environmental Working Group. Items, including cutting boards, are still made with synthetic polymers or plastic, thanks to their affordability and—seemingly—durability.
As a result, people are inhaling toxins without even realizing it.
“Studies have pointed toward this being an often-overlooked source of ingested microplastics,” food and cooking author Adam James Pollock told Newsweek.
Plastic cutting boards are often the reason for microplastics to wind up in food. Cooking author Adam James Pollock suggests when a board looks like this photo it should be thrown away.
Plastic cutting boards are often the reason for microplastics to wind up in food. Cooking author Adam James Pollock suggests when a board looks like this photo it should be thrown away.
Adam James Pollock
What To Know
Pollock said that wooden cutting boards should not be avoided like they have, thanks to rumors about bacteria growth.
“As with everything, it depends on what people consider to be better,” Pollock told Newsweek. “Studies have shown that bacteria like salmonella and listeria can live longer and multiple easier on plastic chopping boards, whereas the same bacteria get stuck in the small wood fibers of wooden chopping boards within minutes and die. Wooden boards are generally more expensive, though, so better is a little subjective.”
Wooden cutting boards can harbor bacteria but are safe when properly cleaned. Pollock noted that some people “treat raw meat like it’s nuclear waste.” If proper sanitation is conducted by washing hands and surfaces that were in contact with raw meat with soap and water, then “no harm will come to you.”
Pollock said the best solution for home cooks is to have wooden chopping boards, wash them properly and let them air-dry by standing them up in the open.
“Every month or so, grab some olive oil and give the boards a light coating in this,” Pollock told Newsweek. “Oil repels water, and it’ll help your boards avoid absorbing too much water, which can lead to warping and cracking.”
The discussion around using plastics in the kitchen, especially the standard black plastic molds for different utensils, has recently been a hot-button topic on social media.
A study published last month in the journal Chemosphere tested 203 household products made of black plastic, and researchers from the organization Toxic-Free Future and the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam found 85 percent of them exposed customers to 8 percent about the daily safe limits of flame retardants.
The researchers corrected the report to show the 8 percent statistics rather than the initially alarming 80 percent above limits.
Earlier this year, a peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that plastic cutting boards may lead to significant amounts of microplastics, less than 5 millimeters in diameter, in food. The research looked at chopping vegetables on two types of plastic boards and how the microplastics would cling to the food.
But it goes beyond that. A 2022 study found that chopping on these boards also releases microplastics into meat. Another study found microplastics on fish and chicken, as well.
While Pollock noted that some versions of plastic cutting boards are “safer in terms of releasing fewer microplastics,” they are still not entirely perfect.
“In general, polyethylene boards (which is what restaurants tend to use) are more durable in this regard compared to other common plastic boards, but this also varies depending on what is being chopped on them,” Pollock told Newsweek. “Restaurants will also replace worn boards regularly as these are business expenditures which they can expense, which the average home cook is unlikely to do.”
What People Are Saying
Shane Starner, @starnerwoodco, on TikTok: “We all know plastic cutting boards are cheap and easy to clean, so that makes them the perfect solution right? Let’s take a look. You’re eating little chunks of plastic every time you use one of these cutting boards. A study from the University of Wisconsin actually shows that wood can kill bacteria in as quick as three minutes, while plastic cutting boards can allow bacteria to grow many days without proper care.”
SciShow‘s Hank Green, on TikTok: “My general opinion is you’re probably fine. I guarantee you nothing you’re doing with your cutting board is worse than smoking a cigarette, but obviously, if you have a plastic cutting board, you’re going to be getting some plastic in your food.”
Alternative health Dr. Dan Pompa, on TikTok: “You don’t ever cut on a plastic cutting board. Big no-no.”
What Happens Next
Pollock noted that looking at plastic cutting boards “isn’t really the way to go about this on a societal level.”
“Consumers should work to avoid plastic in all areas of life if they are seriously concerned about the prevalence of microplastics,” he added.
Pollock told Newsweek he has worked to eliminate plastic in the kitchen over the past few years. He recommends that home cooks buy silicon, steel or wooden utensils. Pots and pans, similarly, should avoid flaky coatings.
Food Author Says Home Cooks Should Stop Using Plastic Cutting Boards
