Even if you clean your kitchen carefully, you may not know that bacteria hides in the most unexpected places, like your cutting board. There is a constant debate surrounding this essential kitchen utensil: is a plastic cutting board or a wooden one better?
If you usually use a plastic cutting board, you should know that it is not as safe as it should be. And, if you opt for a wooden one, you also have to take into account a series of aspects to choose the most appropriate one and pay attention to its maintenance.
Nutritionist Juan Bola has dedicated a video on his Instagram profile (@juanbolanutritrainer, with 213 thousand followers) to explain the reasons why a plastic cutting board is not a good option. “Plastic boards are terrible,” he emphasizes.
“Some people say that a wooden cutting board is unhygienic. "That it is better to eat microplastics...", begins the text that accompanies the video. He explains that when cutting, small grooves are generated in the board in which bacteria will accumulate. “The thing is, a slot in a plastic cutting board will (partly) close around the dirt inside the slot. Therefore, when washing the board, it is not guaranteed that all the dirt in the grooves will be removed,” he adds.
For this reason, the nutritionist chooses to defend the wooden cutting board: “A wooden cutting board does not close around dirt, but rather opens during cleaning with heat. This way, you can be sure to get everything out of the slot. In addition to this, the tannin in the wood helps a lot to get rid of a large part of the bacteria. In fact, there are woods with more antimicrobial activity than others,” he says.
When choosing the most suitable wooden cutting board, the expert points out that you must choose a good material, such as boxwood, acacia and olive, as these have fewer pores and exert an antimicrobial action.
Aside from this premise, good maintenance of the board is important. First of all, it is necessary to cover the pores of the board with a grease to close them. “For me, the best option is extra virgin olive oil to take advantage of its antimicrobial and antifungal properties,” says Juan Bola.
Likewise, you must clean them consistently, smearing the board with an acid such as lemon or vinegar and salt. Rub the mixture over the board, letting it soak for about 15 minutes. Next, rinse it and dry it well with a kitchen towel or absorbent paper. It must be completely dry before applying the oil again.
Finally, the nutritionist highlights the need to have two cutting boards, one for meat and fish and another for fruits and vegetables.
