Why I’ll Never Use My Plastic Cutting Board Again

A few months ago, a disturbing study about plastic cutting boards was released. It focused on how many microplastics are released into your food each time you use it. The study concluded that over a year, an average of 50 grams of microplastics are released from the cutting board, which is the equivalent of 10 plastic credit cards; around 15 milligrams are released every single use.

A video recently posted by Paul Saladino, MD, on Instagram showed what this looks like in real time. He uses a sharp chef’s knife to cut on the board, then shaves off the released plastic onto a dark plate.

While toxicologists would say this is something not to worry about yet, given how many microplastics are present in our food and even our water (studies on health ramifications of consuming microplastics are still early, and we’re not sure exactly how it affects us), you can make the switch by choosing to use a wooden cutting board or a bamboo cutting board instead.

Keep in mind that wooden cutting boards are porous, which could result in food-borne illness if they aren’t cleaned properly. Cutting boards made with bamboo are less porous, but to avoid this completely, Saladino offers a solution to keep your wooden cutting board clean — and ditch that plastic cutting board for good.

First he uses tallow (made of beef fat, similar to lard) to seal the wood before every use. Then to avoid bacteria entering the cutting board after using it, he’ll wipe it down with a vinegar (like distilled white or an apple cider vinegar) which can kill bacteria naturally without any chemical-heavy products. You can also clean it using a scrub with lemon and salt.

To keep your cutting board looking nice and not dried out, it’s important to also oil wood cutting boards regularly. This keeps them looking pristine, and helps to avoid any warps and cracks in the wood down the line.