Satiman UKSW

One indispensable kitchen utensil is the cutting board. Whether they are made of wood or plastic, cutting boards require proper cleaning. A quick wash will not eliminate bacteria that can find its way into crevices caused by regular cuts and chops from your knife or a cleaver. Special care needs to be taken when the board is used for cutting raw meat.

It is safer to use two boards: one for vegetables, bread and cooked meats; the other solely for raw meat. Color-coded boards help to make the distinction and effectively eliminates cross-contamination of raw meat bacteria that leads to food poisoning.

Food poisoning can be quite serious. It can leave you sick and weak for weeks. The good news is we can prevent incidents of food poisoning by cleaning our cutting board the correct way. Some homes have a dishwasher, which not only cleans, but also sanitizes your cutting boards. Do not fret if you do not have a dishwasher. Manually cleaning your board correctly will give you the same result.

Here is a simple method for keeping those cutting boards clean and sanitized. First, give your cutting board a good scrub with hot, sudsy water. Then sanitize the clean board for 10 minutes with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of water. For easy application, keep this solution in a spray bottle. Let the board air-dry or wipe it with a clean kitchen towel before storing it away.

Tip: Hydrogen peroxide at 3% strength is another way to go. Both products are safe for using around food. Use this simple method to keep your cutting or chopping board free of bacteria. Prevent food poisoning by doing it right every time.

By: Abe Kline

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