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Food Safety and Wood Countertops:
Myth, Common Sense and Truth
By Ken Williamson (Continued)
Is there a Truth?
Are there any truths concerning the food safely issue? I would like to propose two:
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If you leave uncooked food (especially meat) on wood, glass, stainless steel, plastic, or any other material and DO NOT WASH AND DISENFECT the surface, bacteria will prosper and multiply (and might even leap across the kitchen).
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If you cut up some chicken for a stir-fry and then wash the cutting surface, let it dry, and then use a vinegar disinfectant, you will kill the bacteria - dead. Having done so, you will be able to get a good night’s sleep. Perhaps the explanation of why the people in the northern California study using wood cutting boards were so much less likely to get sick was that they were washing their cutting boards.
We have been making wood countertops at Craft-Art for eight years. While we could ship unfinished, raw wood countertops, we choose to apply a food safe, high tech, Tung-oil varnish. Our process separates all food from the wood itself.
We use an expensive finish because it makes the countertops waterproof and extremely difficult to stain or burn. Because the surface is sealed, it is also very easy to clean. The recommended way to clean and disinfect a Craft-Art top is to wipe it down with a sponge and mild soap, rinse, and let dry. Then, using a 20% white vinegar and water solution, mist the top and let it dry.
The Bottom Line
While there are many reasons to choose one countertop material over another, there is no reason to make that choice out of a concern about bacteria. Whatever material you choose can be kept bacteria free by using simple cleaning and disinfecting procedures.
When you look for a counter or island top, we know that you will give wood serious consideration due to its natural, timeless beauty, its sustainability as a natural resource, and the wonderfully broad design possibilities unique to wood. Make your choice based on what works and what you want, not myth.