Plastic vs Wood Cutting Boards and Bacteria

firkin

firkin

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Well, a post here linked to Bernard Levines site.

Been there before, but hadn't realized how much stuff he has there.

Anyway he has an article about the study that evaluated wood vs plastic cutting boards,
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/cut-bo93.txt

It is VERY much worth reading, the results are quite surprising, and he provides some relevant commentary.
 
Of course for some silly reason, the idiocy of Glass cutting surfaces is increasing.

When I worked at a fast food resturant, the plastic cutting boards had mildew embedded in their mutilated surfaces, despite the sterilizing solution that was used after washing in soapy water..
Perhaps it was a good thing that most employees, and managers eschewed the plastic monstrosities for the stainless steel tabletops.
To my delight this allowed me to practice my developing sharpening skills.
 
This is dated 1993. Any followup studies or other info?

I like being able to toss my plastic cutting boards in the dishwasher. I don't like my wood-handled kitchen knives because the dishwasher messes up the handles. Yes, I'm lazy.
 
I had heard that this was another of those studies where the results couldn't be duplicated. Anyone heard differently? Don't like plastic myself. Have a lovely 2 1/2 in thick end grain maple cutting board, with a piece of that carpet anti-skid stuff under it. Works like a charm.
 
Fine cutlery in the dishwasher! Good god, man! Even the wonder material handled ones get so banged up in there that they don't stay sharp for long. A gal I knew helped out by cleaning up after a big party at my girlfriend's house. I couldn't find the Ironwood handled beauty I made for her. I asked if she put it in the dishwasher(it was running) when she said "yes" I let out a squeal and yanked open the door to retrieve it. I didn't score any points with the poor gal helping out, but I had little illusion as to how well a wood handled knife would hold up under hot water and detergent. It wasn't in long enough for any real damage.
I've always prefered cutting on wood and don't ever cut meat on plastic.
 
This is dated 1993. Any followup studies or other info?

I had heard that this was another of those studies where the results couldn't be duplicated. Anyone heard differently?

Good answers...I thought the same thing myself.

Yes to both.

This is a bit long, but there are relevant studies that came both before and after this one.

When I got some more time, I looked a little further.

Everybody uses different protocols for their studies, which is pretty crappy from a pedantic point of view. And it depends on what bacteria are used. Since nobody has apparently exactly reproduced Clive's conditions, they haven't really tested his spectacular results.


first a notable quote:

Because "clean" people wipe up so much, they often end up spreading bacteria all over the place. The cleanest kitchens, he said, were in the homes of bachelors, who never wiped up and just put their dirty dishes in the sink.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/living/food/7980290.htm?1c


If nobody wants to read further, two lessons:

1) Plastic and wood cutting boards both appear fine, if maintained and cleaned properly--not so difficult for either.

2) Never rely on the results of a single scientific study or author if the issue is important to you. Especially if it is a new result in the popular media. Takes work to find things out, that's just the way it is. In studies like this the balance between "increasing real-world relevance" and "maintaining reproduceable experimental conditons" seems to mean different things to different experimentalists. The "textbook scientific method" isn't much of what happens in much of "real science". Sometimes that's because the textbook scientific method" is inaccurate, and sometimes that's because some discplines are so "applied" or "results oriented" that they don't think it matters, like in this case. This isn't experimental physics.

Here's http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infcuttingboard.shtm which includes commentary by Dr. Clives, some comparison to the results of others, and a list of his publications on the topic.


There are claims such as http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/foodsafety/az1076.html : One study reported that new wooden boards had antimicrobial qualities while plastic cutting boards trapped bacteria. However, more recent studies by the Food and Drug Administration found that microorganisms became trapped in wood surfaces and were difficult to dislodge by rinsing. Once trapped, bacteria survive in a dormant stage for long periods of time. The next time the cutting board is used, these bacteria could contaminate other foods, potentially causing food-borne illness. On the other hand, the study found that microorganisms were easily washed off plastic surfaces.

or

http://131.104.74.73:96/fsnet/1997/6-1997/fs-06-02-97-01.txt
SANITATION IMPORTANT REGARDLESS OF COMPOSITION CUTTING BOARD
May 19, 1997
NATIONAL MEAT ASSOCIATION
Erica Smith
Reported by The Federal Veterinarian, when the potentials for removal of beef bacterial microflora from polyethylene and hardwood cutting boards were compared by Arthur J. Miller, et al, the importance of controlling cutting board sanitation was demonstrated, regardless of composition. After placing ground beef and extracts with E.coli O157:H7 on several
cutting boards, swabbing, and treating with cleaning agents, it was demonstrated that the differences between the bacterial levels on wooden and plastic boards were not significant, regardless of contact time. Also, washing with any cleaner, including water, removed most bacteria from both boards.

Anyway, the whole thing seems pretty much a wash IMO, if[/ i], cutting boards are properly washed (soapy water, rinse, followed by vinegar, and a rinse seems a good choice) and replaced or refinished when scored. Plastic scores faster. If you don't wash for a long time, plastic can apparently grow more stuff that is available for transfer from the surface. Some studies seem to show that viable bacteria can under certain conditions spontaineously appear as small colonies after being absorbed in wood--perhaps they go dormant. Wash before and after, and you should be covered, just like using the restroom while preparing chile peppers.

Here's a site that say's essentially the same thing and summarizes in laymans terms some of the studies:
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/cutting_boards.htm


Anyway, a nice summary is found in the conclusion of this paper, "Wood in the Food Industry" which reviews the literature.

http://www.treteknisk.no/Tema/naeringsmiddel/publikasjoner Report-1.pdf

It seems pretty good, though some of the funding was provided by the Scandinavian wood industries. At the very least it should provide some appreciation how "Science" can make things pretty complicated. In studies like this the balance between "increasing real-world relevance" and "maintaining reproduceable experimental conditons" seems to mean different things to different experimentalists to re-iterate.

Doubt that anyone cares, but the less relevant part 2 of the study is here:

http://www.treteknisk.no/Tema/naeringsmiddel/publikasjoner Report-9.pdf

And if the horse isn't dead,

A whole bunch of primary souces and abstracts appear here too, you may want to repeatedly search this page for "wood" to speed things up.

http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Sanitize.html
 
Firkin, which do you think is better?

The answer might be different between home and restaraunt.





munk
 
Simple experiment I did years ago,

Leave a mix of meat, gravy,milk & other food debris on both plastic & wood,{I used English oak} After a few days :D on an English oak board it went black & congeled, on plastic it become very alive & mouldy.

Not true science, but a good indicator ,I thought! ;)

I guess the tannic & gallic acid in the oak kills stuff? after all it will tan leather & stop it rotting!

Wood rocks! :D

Spiral
 
Actually one study looked at different kinds of wood, and oak stood out as actually containing enough substances (thought to be tannins) that extracts were shown to somewhat inhibit microbial growth, unlike other woods tested.

As for Munk's question, the variables involved are immense, which is why trying to exactly dupicate one of these experiments is kinda silly. To definitively answer the question, one would have to perform an astromonical number of experiments to average out the effects of the many variables, or suggest absurdly stringent SOPs for food prep.

What it boils down to, is both can be effectively utilized with a modicum of care in a safe manner. There is not any significant difference between them if both harbor a resevoir of pathogens substantially below what is accepted as safe, then the fact that one has twice as many as the other is of little consequence. Twice negligable is negligable. Mis-use of either can result un-acceptably high concentrations, though the results of gratutitous mis-use appear substantially worse for at least some kinds of plastic.

I suspect from what munk has previously written regarding his hospital experiences he has a handle on this. In this vein, I note that the marketing of plastic cutting boards doped with antibiotics has (and quite properly in my view) been discouraged.

I think that any dramatic claims from either side is hype.
I think that using things like glass and other stuff like Corian that destroy knife edges is stupid.

BTW straight, strong vinegar is the thing to use to sanitize (not sterilize) wooden cutting boards--palatably mild bleach solution reacts with wood and gets titrated away so there is none left to get to the microbes. If you have a wooden cutting board small enough to put in the microwave some recommend that. OK if you don't mind replacing it soon, I guess. Vegetable oils can degrade to food for microbes found in the kitchen, mineral oil or silicon oil can't.

Me, I like wood.

I note that the paper that started this thread did properly do it's job--the prevailing thesis was: "Plastic is obviously and always better" That was not true.

The next question should have been, is there a significant difference in actual and typical use? It is hard to find those that have addressed that question.

Many just want to get into print for some reason or another, or sell their cutting boards.
 
spiraltwista said:
Wood rocks!
Click to expand...
Hey...I have a few of those....;)


In designing countertops for medical facilities, we go with stainless steel as much as the client will allow. That's the best and one of the most expensive. Very easy to keep clean.

But who out there is making stainless steel cutting boards?
 
I"m long out of my med surg rotation so I dont' know about hospitals- from what I've seen they still use combination materials- you guys would know- heavy acyrills, sort of fake wood countertops- like schools. Some surface is SS.


I've seen butchers who use plastic wash everything down with bleach.


munk
 
plastic laminate = :barf:

Like I said, we persuade as much as we can....no-one ever argues about whether or not it's the best....just whether or not they can afford it. :(
 
That gives me an idea (of what this world is coming to) Do they make coffins out of plastic laminates yet? Can you imagine? Talk about tacky.

It's so horrible it may ultimately be 'cool'.

Talk about Americana.... maybe imbed a hubcap in the lid.



munk
 
Munk: that sounds like a Saturn! (sorry)

(Sutcliffe: Sorry, I misworded. I should have said that the dishwasher WILL mess up the handles of wood-handled knives. I cringe at the thought of a custom knife going into the dishwasher.)
 
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