Tip: Cracking or splitting usually occurs when wood has been soaked and when it is moved from hot to cold or cold to hot, when it dries from not being oiled regularly, and when subjected to intense changes in temperature and humidity.
 

Cutting Boards Safety

Cutting boards may hide harmful germs, the extent of the contamination depends on several different factors.

• Find a board that has been approved for contact with food, one usually with a smooth, hard surface.

• You should replace older boards that have been well used.

• Have separate cutting boards that you use for preparing food.  One for salad, vegetables, fruit breads and other items that don't require cooking.  Have another board exclusively used for preparing raw mean, poultry or seafood.

• Clean cutting board thoroughly, removing any dried on food and use hot soapy water to clean the board after each use. Some boards can withstand a dishwasher, while others like wood or flimsy plastics may not.

• Use a sanitizing mixture of one teaspoon of bleach to one quart of water, to sterilize your cutting board  once a month.  Submerse or pour the mixture over the board and let sit for a few minutes.  Rinse the board completely.  Always sanitize your board after preparing raw meat, poultry or seafood.

• Be sure the cutting board has dried completely before putting it away.

• Store cutting boards in a clean dry place.

  For more information please visit Food Safety and Inspection Service USDA. Basics for Handling Food Safely. USDA

  Cutting Boards and Germs
  Univ. of MN Extension Service; Univ. of MN Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition

Types of Cutting Boards

Wood or Synthetic? Wood is the most common choice for a cutting board, because it is traditional, your grandma had a wood one, your mother had a wood one so you do too. Wood also looks good. Wood cutting boards, aren't as durbale they will show wear and tear in a couple of years.  But then that is what adds the character and life to the board.

Synthetic boards are pretty cool, you can color coordinate with your kitchen.  It also isn't as heavy as a wood board.  Synthetic boards can dull to your knives and they also stain easy.

Flexible Cutting Mats
Are a unique cutting board, they can be shaped for use as a funnel for pourting your cut item.  You can also cut them for cute or functional shapes.  They go into the dishwasher and roll up to be stored away so you consume less counter space.
 

Bamboo Cutting Boards and Blocks are environmentall friendly, they come from a material, bamboo, that grows at a very fast rate, and can be harvested in just a few years.  They are a very hard wood and can be produced in either a deep dark finish or a light finish depending on the production process.