Wooden Cutting Boards and Bacteria – What You Need to Know
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I’m sharing the science of wooden cutting boards and bacteria, plus other benefits of wood. I only use wood cutting boards in my kitchen. I never liked plastic cutting boards, and now studies are backing me up.
At our family catering business, the health department required us to use plastic cutting boards because “they were more sanitary”. Like so many well-intentioned government agencies, they were wrong.
We have a section of butcher block countertop, plus six other boards, including one passed down from my husband’s grandmother. (The top board in the image below.) With proper care, these boards can last a lifetime. You can’t say that about plastic boards.
Table of Contents
- Wooden Cutting Boards and Bacteria
- Wood Versus Salmonella, Listeria and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
- Survival of bacteria on wood and plastic particles
- Other Reasons to Choose Wood Cutting Boards Over Plastic, Glass or Ceramic Cutting Boards
- Basic Food Safety Applies No Matter Which Type of Cutting Board You Use
- More Food Safety Articles
Wooden Cutting Boards and Bacteria
In “Plastic and Wooden Cutting Boards” by Dean O. Cliver, they noted that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture told us they had no scientific evidence to support their recommendation that plastic, rather than wooden cutting boards be used in home kitchens”.
The problem is that while it may seem like plastic is non-porous and can’t absorb liquids, with use the surface becomes knife-scarred. This rough surface is exceptionally difficult to clean, even with bleach or running through the dishwasher.
Wood, by contrast, shows the ability to halt the growth of and kill bacteria applied to its surface. Both new and used wooden cutting boards maintain this ability equally well.
Wood Versus Salmonella, Listeria and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
In a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin (also by Dr. Cliver), they tested bacteria known to produce food poisoning – Salmonella, Listeria and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli.
These bacteria were placed on cutting boards made from seven different species of trees and four types of plastic. All the wooden boards consistently outperformed the plastic.
The scientists found that three minutes after contaminating a board that 99.9 percent of the bacteria on wooden boards had died, while none of the bacteria died on plastic.
Bacterial numbers actually increased on plastic cutting boards held overnight at room temperature, but the scientists could not recover any bacteria from wooden boards treated the same way.
Dr. Cliver also discusses a case-control study of sporadic salmonellosis in “Plastic and Wooden Cutting Boards”:
(This study) revealed that those using wooden cutting boards in their home kitchens were less than half as likely as average to contract salmonellosis, those using synthetic (plastic or glass) cutting boards were about twice as likely as average to contract salmonellosis; and the effect of cleaning the board regularly after preparing meat on it was not statistically significant.
Basically, wood cutting boards kill bacteria.
Wood binds up water, which bacteria needs to grow. Wood also contains antimicrobial compounds. (Given that many plants can be used as natural antibiotics, this is not surprising.)
Old or new, wood cutting boards add an extra line of defense to your kitchen.
Bamboo also has anti-bacterial properties, but it contains silica, which can dull or chip knives. Bamboo may also warp or crack more readily than wood.
Survival of bacteria on wood and plastic particles
The study “Survival of bacteria on wood and plastic particles: Dependence on wood species and environmental conditions” compared bacteria growth (E. coli and E. faecium) in seven types sawdust and plastic (polyethylene chips).
They found that the sawdust reduced the bacteria count, with pine and oak performing the best.
From the abstract:
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“The presented study shows that pine and oak exhibit substantially better hygienic performance than plastic and indicates an antibacterial effect caused by a combination of the hygroscopic properties of wood and the effect of wood extractives.”
They also discuss earlier studies, including one by Koch et al in 2002 comparing bacterial survival (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens) on wood, plastic and stainless steel, noting:
“A remarkably great difference in the survival of the bacteria on the surface of the samples was observed between wooden samples and plastic and steel. Oak showed the highest decrease rate in bacterial titre, followed by beech and ash. Bacteria survived longest on plastic followed by stainless steel.“
Other Reasons to Choose Wood Cutting Boards Over Plastic, Glass or Ceramic Cutting Boards
Additionally, wood cutting boards:
- Protect your knives and don’t dull them like ceramic, glass, or bamboo cutting boards.
- Are completely biodegradable and renewable. (See our Teakhaus review.)
- May support small business. Check out your local farmers markets and craft fairs for handmade products.
Duncan demonstrates how to oil cutting boards in the video below.
Not surprisingly, plastic cutting boards may be a significant source of microplastics in food. (See “Are Plastic Cutting Boards Safe?“) No one needs to be eating more plastic. Even if it doesn’t end up in your food, it’s washing down the drain into the water supply.
Basic Food Safety Applies No Matter Which Type of Cutting Board You Use
Wash hands frequently using a non-toxic soap and hot water. Do not use antibacterial products like triclosan. They breed tougher superbugs.
Avoid cross contamination. Keep meat away from produce, cooked food away from raw food, etc. Don’t grill and put the finished meat on the same plate you used for the raw meat.
For more detailed information, see How to Clean Wooden Cutting Boards and Wooden Cutting Board Care.
If you want to use bleach to sanitize your cutting board, add one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of water. Soak your board for a few minutes, and then rinse well with clean water. I don’t do this for wooden cutting boards, but if you still have plastic boards, it may be helpful.
A better understanding of the interaction of wooden cutting boards and bacteria makes it clear why wood has been the material of choice for so long. Being more resilient is all about combining the best of old and new.
Did you know about the wood/bacteria interaction? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts.
More Food Safety Articles
Good food is critical to good health – but our food system is in trouble. We’ll help you to understand the risks and make better choices. Learn more at:
Bt Corn – What is it, and Why Should You Care About It?
Botulism – Tips for Safe Home Canning
Protect Yourself from Salmonella and E Coli Naturally
Laurie Neverman has her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s in mechanical engineering. She paid part of her way through college working at the family catering business, Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering. Now she and her family grow and preserve most of their food on their Wisconsin homestead.
Originally posted in 2013, updated in 2024.
Interesting. I learned something today. Thank you.
You’re welcome. I found the study results interesting, too.
Needed a thicker/taller cutting board a few years ago due to back issues and only affordable thing found at the time was a bamboo chopping-block style cutting board. It has held up splendidly! We do seem to have to sharpen our knives a little bit more frequently, but worth it to not have to worry about cuts and dings requiring sanding and refurbishing of the cutting board which was necessary from time to time even with the best of hardwood boards (and we live in a very dry climate so extra care is needed). I keep thinking the bamboo will need refurbishing too eventually, but so far it still looks as nice as the day we bought it in spite of constant daily use. Plus, it costs us absolutely nothing but a very little of our time to sharpen our knives. I wasn’t aware of the antibacterial properties of bamboo so now consider that yet another bonus!
I’ve been using Olive Oil to care for the cutting board my daughter made in shop class 10 years ago, and I’ve never had any issues with rancidity. Olive oil, in fact, has antibacterial properties, and if applied correctly in the manner you described, like wiping off the excess and allowing to air dry, it nourishes and conditions the wood beautifully 🙂 Here’s to only using wooden cutting boards!
Far more important than washing your hands is cutting your fingernails as short as possible. That is where 98% of the bacterial, viruses and fungus on your hands dwell. There’s no point washing your hands if you have dead nail growth.
Or you could build a healthy microbiome and trust that humans aren’t designed so poorly that untrimmed fingernails will kill them.
So, I’m a mother of six children and grandmother to 14. My mother and grandmother ( and undoubtedly generations before them, since plastic was only invented in the 1950’s) used a wood cutting surface. I build a 6×4 foot kitchen island with a butcher block top as the area in my kitchen where I have prepared food for 30plus years. Not once has there been any instance of any kind of contamination in this household. I detest sponges and only use the stack of white dishrags I buy at Walmart, 12 for $4. They are laundered daily, along with the antique French dish towels I have collected from France. Sponges just spread bacteria around. Avoid them. I have watched with amusement as sons in laws and daughters in law watch in horror as I chop away on the wood cutting board, no doubt thinking I am incredibly ignorant. Ummm, sorry, but no. Have fun with your plastic and glass. I’ll keep my tried and true butcher block and my sanitary dish rags.
I’m with you – sponges are gross.
Congratulations on your bountiful family and choice of island counter top.
Great info on oils for the cutting board!
Awesome article on cutting board care. I’d use a new cutting board to chop up some green chilies, jalapenos, onions & garlic to make some green chili enchilada sauce.
Great article! I would definitely put my wooden cutting board to use chopping up fruits and veggies for salads and smoothies. I am moving to a new home near a college I will be attending and I would love to use a quality cutting board like this for my meal preparations!
I’d use my new cutting board to replace the plastic one I have.
I knew wooden boards were superior from a hygiene standpoint, but I didn’t know they should be oiled. Thank you for this knowledge. How would I use a new John Boos cutting board…? Oh my gosh, with gratitude and forever!
Very timely article for those of us grilling out. I do have a butcher block in my kitchen but will rest another board of top of it when it comes to chopping meat or veggies or fruits. Would love one of these excellent quality cutting boards to work with.
I love wood cutting boards. They are the ONLY cutting boards I will use!
Thank you so much for the helpful information in your blog and Facebook posts. I’m going to throw out my used plastic cutting boards and invest in a good hardwood board. I also appreciate the information about board maintenance that you have shared. I would love to win the cutting board, please. Thank you.
This is so great to know! We are planning to build a house soon, and I love the idea of a wooden counter top, at least on an island. My husband and I have both worked in food service before, so he kept saying how wood isn’t sanitary– now I have something to counter that idea 🙂
I’m really glad you shared this post on Facebook again. It was very informative and confirmed my suspicions about the topic. I’ve been working on switching my cutting boards over for some time.
This might sound dumb, but I’m really glad I read your note about not putting cooked meat on the same plate as the raw meat came off of. When we grill hamburgers, that is exactly what we do, and as I read that, I realized what kind of a dangerous mistake we have been making!
It’s a very common mistake, because it’s so easy to do.
Well duh! I would use it to chop all those veggies I worked so hard to grow!
I use a large plastic cutting board daily & had no idea how bad this is. Will replace to wood ASAP. Thank you for this information!
Love wooden boards. Weight is my only disadvantage. I Have an old butchers block board and it’s so heavy!!!
This one is thick, but the size is small enough that it’s easy to move around (one of the main reasons I selected it).
I’m in love with wood ANYTHING! My Dad was a carpenter. I love the smell of wood, the look of wood, and the versatility. And it was once a tree…how cool is that!!!!
My dad worked as a butcher during the depression. I grew up with wooden cutting boards. My dad’s knives were always sharp and wooden boards helped keep them that way. I would love to have the beautiful board from John Boos.