Wood is one of the most solemn materials that exists in any beautiful kitchen. Without a doubt, a good wooden board is a pleasure dining room details gourmet it’s precious But beware, wood is used for more than just quirky and sumptuous servings of aged cheese in a beautiful gastronomic setting. The mythical wooden spoons your grandma used to make and keep for years like gold in cloth also have stories to tell.

However – and to my great regret – today I came to destroy the memories of your family. Wood is a rather controversial material for food safety experts. In fact, both the industry and the hospitality industry try to avoid it because it brings more trouble than joy. Far from prohibited by law, as many believe, this issue is dispensed with due to the fact that pathogens easily harbor in it. Watch out, lunchtime friend.

Wood is a porous material

If there is one problematic characteristic of culinary wood, it is its porosity. Wood it has small holes through which both food juices and dirt vigorously penetrate. This makes wood a very difficult material to clean, so it’s not always enough to brush it with a sponge like there’s no tomorrow.

Added to this is the fact that wooden kitchen utensils are strictly forbidden to be washed in a dishwasher. This appliance offers greater cleaning guarantees than the classic manual scrubber dryer, but not suitable for wood because this material retains a lot of moisture, providing a haven for microorganisms of all kinds, which will find the perfect hiding place in its cracks to breed like rabbits in the heat.

From a food safety point of view, it is not possible to discuss: wood is a bad ally. Although there are certain scientific studies that point to some of the benefits of wood as an antimicrobial effect, especially in food packaging, which is not the same as a cutting board. The truth is that his evidence is still in its infancy and it is not practical to translate it into a realistic message to the public.

The reason is that not all forests are the same, and processing and caring for them at home is extremely difficult. To sum it up: having wooden boards and utensils is a mess and there is not enough evidence to justify their use today, beyond aesthetic motives. Most importantly, they can be microbiologically problematic.

What is the best material then?

Unfortunately there is no perfect material in the kitchenand it should be clear. Every choice we make has pros and cons. Either because of its weight, economic value, versatility, ease of cracking, or simply because it doesn’t wash well. Neither stainless steel, nor glass, nor marble, nor silicone, nor plastic, and even more so wood, are ideal materials.

For confectionery and preparations where heat is not used, silicone is a good choice. On the other hand, stainless steel is usually the best option, which poses fewer hygiene concerns: it’s easy to clean, inert, and doesn’t promote the growth of disease-causing germs like wood does. However, it is true that in some cases it can scratch pots and other items. As always, it is important to choose good cookware that does not scratch and whose quality ensures a long service life. Later it will be time to write them off and buy new ones. A spatula cannot last forever.

On the other hand, some resistant plastics such as polypropylene They can be a great option if we want to have a safe and versatile material at home. In addition, different color charts can be used depending on the foods we cut: for example, red for meat, blue for fish, and green for vegetables. In this way, we will avoid dangerous cross-contamination.

Be careful with cross-contamination

Aside from the type of material chosen, the truth is that there is a microbiologically risky practice that many mortals practice at home without realizing it. When they come into contact, the so-called “cross-contamination” occurs. raw foods, as they may contain pathogens naturally – such as meat or fish, especially chicken – with other fresh foods that will not be cooked or that have already been cooked. For this reason, it is very important to separate tables according to each use, and this is where resistant plastics such as propylene make our lives much easier.

Many consumers are concerned about the migration of toxic components of some plastics into food. That’s how it goes well-known microplastic, small plastic particles that enter our body through food and other environmental factors. It may cause a certain hysteria and cause us to run away from any plastic as a food contact material, but the truth is that there is no reason to be afraid of it. All plastics approved for use in food are safe and subject to strict regulations governing their use in the European Union.

In addition, in a special area of ​​cutting boards, resistant plastics such as polypropylene with good thickness do not pose any problems, as long as let’s update the table when it’s badly dented or have deep cuts and cracks. Don’t worry about microplastics: look instead for food poisoning, which is not far off from cross-contamination and microbiologically unsafe materials.

Source: Hiper Textual

Previous articleiPhone 16 will come with a new Face ID, what changes is Apple planning?
Next articleApple’s MacBook will adopt OLED technology in 2024

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here