Chopping boards are essential kitchen utensils for every home. The main function of the chopping board is to cut vegetables, meat, fruits, etc. Therefore, cutting boards are often in close contact with our food.
However, studies have shown that the chopping board we use every day has 200% more bacteria hidden than the toilet!
People’s Daily Online reported that a 1-year-old boy was admitted to a hospital in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province. The boy has had fever and vomiting for a week.
A doctor’s examination revealed that these symptoms were caused by the boy’s infection with various parasites, including liver flukes. The cause of the infection was actually caused by improper use of the cutting board.
How can a small chopping board become a habitat for bacteria and parasites?
In daily life, there are three main reasons for the growth of bacteria and parasites on cutting boards.
Bacteria in food
We all know that raw food typically contains bacteria, parasites or parasite eggs. When we cut raw food on the cutting board, the raw food will definitely touch the kitchen knife and cutting board directly.
During this contact process, the bacteria, parasites or eggs on the raw food will also be attached to the kitchen knife and cutting board along with the food. Especially when raw food and cooked food are mixed, bacterial contamination on the cutting board is even more serious.
Excessive use of cutting board
Most people have the notion that if the cutting board is not broken, there is no need to replace it with a new one. However, experimental studies have shown that the longer the cutting board is used, the more serious the bacterial growth on it will be.
Improper cleaning
Many people put their cutting board under the tap and rinse it off after using it. In this way, the cutting board seems to be cleaned on the surface. However, there may also be residues or bacterial accumulation in places such as knife marks on the cutting board, and these places are difficult to wash with clean water.
Which cutting board is less likely to breed bacteria?
Common cutting boards on the market, according to different materials, there are four kinds of wood, bamboo, plastic, synthetic and so on. With so many kinds of cutting boards, which one is not easy to breed bacteria?
Wooden cutting boards are the most commonly used cutting boards. This kind of chopping board is generally hard, and it is more practical for people who often need to chop and chop. However, if the wooden cutting board is not properly maintained, it is most likely to breed mold.
Bamboo cutting boards are also one of the more popular types of cutting boards. Its advantages are that it is resistant to chopping, low water absorption, and not easy to mold. However, the bamboo cutting board is easy to slip when using, and it is not conducive to the maintenance of the knife. Since the bamboo cutting board needs to be bonded with glue during the production process, there may be residual formaldehyde on the bamboo cutting board.
Plastic cutting boards, the main raw materials are polyethylene and polypropylene. It is characterized by moderate hardness, light and convenient, and not easy to mold. However, plastic cutting boards without antibacterial ingredients are easy to breed bacteria, and are easy to fade, not wear-resistant, difficult to clean, and will shed chips after long-term use.
There are two main types of synthetic cutting boards, one is a plant fiber synthetic material cutting board, and the other is a fully artificial synthetic material cutting board. The advantages of a synthetic cutting board are that it absorbs less water, sheds less chips, is friendly to knives, and is not easy to slip when cutting ingredients. And some synthetic cutting boards have anti-slip and anti-bacterial treatments on the surface. Its disadvantage is that the price is high, and it is only suitable for cutting vegetables and fruits, and is not suitable for chopping and chopping operations.
Based on the above analysis, it is suggested that you can prepare three cutting boards at ordinary times. One is a better quality wooden chopping board for chopping and chopping meat ingredients. Prepare two high-end synthetic resin cutting boards. One dedicated to cutting vegetables, fruits and other ingredients. The other is dedicated to cutting cooked food.
How to clean the cutting board after use?
Many people scald a cutting board with boiling water after using it, believing that this will drive away bacteria from the cutting board.
The method of scalding with boiling water may have a certain cleaning effect on a brand-new cutting board. However, for the kind of well-cut, bruised cutting board, this method has little effect.
The method of scalding with boiling water can only sterilize the surface of the cutting board.Bacteria in scratches on cutting boards. When the temperature of the cutting board cools, these remaining bacteria continue to multiply.
It is mentioned in the “Food Safety Operation Code for Catering Services” that if you want to use boiled water to sterilize bacteria, you need to continue for no less than 30 minutes to achieve the effect of eliminating bacteria.
It can be seen that if you just scald it with boiling water, there is no way to get rid of the bacteria on the cutting board.
So, how should the cutting board be cleaned after use so that it can sterilize?
First of all, after using the cutting board, squeeze an appropriate amount of detergent on the cutting board, and then wash it comprehensively without leaving any dead ends, and then use running water to clean the surface of the cutting board. Food residues are washed away.
Next, rinse the front and back of the cutting board with boiling water for about 10 to 30 seconds.
Next, dry the cutting board with a clean kitchen towel and let it dry in a ventilated place.
If there is a dishwasher at home, you can also put the cutting board in the dishwasher regularly for cleaning, which can also achieve a good cleaning and sterilization effect.
Finally, I would like to remind everyone once again to think about the health of your family. When we use the cutting board, the raw and cooked food must be separated to prevent the bacteria in the raw meat from being transferred to other food through the cutting board.