In this week’s article I thought I would discuss cutting boards. Almost every home or business has cutting boards. It really doesn’t’t make a difference whether its wood or plastic, cleaning that surface is very important to the person using that item for health reasons.

I know there is a lot of controversy about which cutting board is better for use. For many years the conventional wisdom held that nonporous plastic was better for use because plastic was not as hospitable as wood to microorganisms, like salmonella from raw chicken. A study done in 1993 by University of Wisconsin challenged that concept. They discovered that 99.9 percent of bacteria placed on wooden boards disappeared within 3 minutes, however, they did not disappear on plastic ones.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration for food safety is sticking with plastic. Its experts found that while bacteria died on wood surfaces, micro-organisms become trapped in deep cuts on wood surfaces and that these same pathogens are washed away on plastic.

The bottom line is which ever you choose, clean and sanitize it well by using a scrubber or brush and soapy water, especially after cutting raw meat. The friction from scrubbing ruptures the cell wall of the microorganism, and the detergent helps lift and remove the debris that holds pathogens. Personally, I recommend using four different cutting boards. One for beef, one for pork, one for chicken, and one for vegetables. If you cook a lot of fish, then get one for fish. Mark them accordingly so you won’t get them confused.

When cleaning with any cleaning product, always wear eye protection and rubber gloves to protect your hands. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266), e-mail them to nwees@hughes.net or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do?  For more information about Ed, go online to www.nwees.com.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified indoor environmental professional, forensic, fire, flood, mold Inspection and remediation/restoration contractor. Ed is the president of Northwest Environmental Services, Inc.