Cutting board - wood, acrylic or something else?

[Mad Cook]

Does it really?

Below is a link to an article that seems to dispute that claim. Here's an excerpt:

"A thoughtful reader kindly sent me a fascinating article on cutting boards. Originally published in the Feb. 6, 1993 edition of Science News, the article describes research claiming that wooden cutting boards possess some sort of bacteria-killing properties, thus making them less likely to contaminate food than plastic or acrylic cutting boards. "Pathogens prefer plastic," the article declares.

Nearly twenty years later, however, experts are still recommending nonporous plastic cutting boards, and local health departments continue to prohibit the use of wooden cutting boards in commercial foodservice."​

Wood Vs. Plastic Cutting Boards: Which is Better?

And another, similar, article:
Cutting Boards and Food Safety

For every article that claims one thing there are other articles that claim the opposite. I honestly think that the most important thing is that as you clean your cutting board after use. Short of that, it doesn't matter all that much whether it's wood or plastic.

When the food police in the UK got their teeth into the Wood Is Bad thing there was a report in the press that when they made cheese makers replace all their traditional wooden shelves, where the cheeses were stored during the maturing phase, with "hygienic" surfaces it caused endless problems. The cheese makers discovered that the cheeses didn't mature properly and went mouldy (and not in a good cheese way!)!

 

[Freki]

I would not use a granite for a cutting surface as it's too hard and will dull your knives quickly.

I use only soft plastic cutting boards that I put into the dishwasher for sanitation.

I've never had issue with my knives dulling. Maybe because I almost never use the boards, or I do a monthly clean/sharpen, where I sharpen them then soak them in the sink with bleach for an hour or so (usually while doing other kitchen cleaning).

 

[FatBear]

Wood

Wood is better for the knife, things cut better on it, food doesn't get stuck down in all those little knife grooves that you get in plastic so it is easier to pick or slide off your food and it's easier to wipe down, and the big kicker: microbes tend to die on wood while they tend to breed on plastic.

We eat nearly all meals at home (we work at home and value our health) and eat a lot of vegetables. I hate pull-out cutting boards and countertop ones are too high. I bought a cheap wood-topped serving cart and use the top of that for my cutting board. It gives you room to spread out and really wield the 10" chef's knife. It is a good height for chopping. And it's always ready to go - you don't need to move stuff off of the counter to use it. I took my router and made a couple of knife slots along the side that faces the counters (so the knifes are safely away from traffic) and a round hole for the steel. The cart normally sets next to the stove at right angles, making a very tight, convenient work area.

The only time I ever soap it is when I have cut meat on it. Don't do that often. Otherwise I just wipe it off with a damp sponge and the microbes die off as it dries. Handwringers may worry about this, but then they go out to a restaurant to eat. That's where the danger lies!