It has often been said that the average kitchen chopping board has more bacteria on it than the average toilet seat. This understandable and believable when you consider the amount of raw uncooked meat and poultry that is cut up on it.

This page is dedicated to showing you how to minimise the risk of contaminating food through your a cutting board.

Use separate cutting boards

It’s best practise to use different cutting boards for different foods. Use one for vegetables and a separate one for meat, another for poultry and seafood etc.

Try to use plastic or other nonporous cutting boards, they are easy to clean and sanitise. Nonporous surfaces are much easier to clean than wood ones which can have groves and small holes in them.

Do not

  • Cut food on metal, ceramic or glass surfaces.
  • Use wooden cutting boards.
  • Leave cutting boards in standing water, this can encourage bacterial growth.

Washing cutting boards

  • After each use wash them in hot soapy water.
  • Allow the cutting board to dry completely before re-using them (most bacteria will die very quickly when deprived of heat and moisture).

Groves in cutting boards
Make sure that knives do not groove the cutting board. Bacteria can hide and multiply in these grooves, and once established there they are hard to remove.

Coloured cutting board
Plastic cutting boards are often available in different colours. Each colour is designed for use with a specific food type. By adopting a colour coded system you will make it easier for food handlers to remember which board to use and ultimately reduce cross contamination.

Juice grooves in cutting boards
When cutting raw meat, poultry, seafood and cooked foods, consider using a cutting board with a juice groove. These grooves will capture any fluids before they can contaminate and stain any worktops.

 

Courses
Food hygiene course online