What's the safest option........a plastic or wooden cutting board?

Good question - wood can get knife marks which harbour bacteria. Make sure you wash it well each time you use it. Eventually, it may need to be sanded down. Wood can get misshapen if left soaking in water.

Plastic is ok, still get cut marks. Don't use those thin plastic sheets from the dollar store - accident waiting to happen! My ex almost sliced his finger off with one of those as it slides around when you go to cut.

There is a real myth out there that plastic is more sanitary than wood as a surface.

But wood is interesting because it "self-sanitizes" itself. Trees have evolved to resist rotting by having something in them that kills bacteria that sit on them. Also, when you cut into a wooden board, the cuts seal themselves up so nothing can get inside of them. They have done tests where they cut a raw chicken on a board and left the board unwashed overnight and the next day there were no bateria living on the wooden board but the plastic board was unsafe to use.

Plastic is nice and looks clean, but as soon as you start cutting on it, it gets cuts that bateria can hide in when you handwash it. It should be sanitized with bleach or run through the dishwasher when you use it to be sure it is clean again.

It's really best if you keep your meat cutting and vegetable cutting on different boards anyway. If you have just one board, cut the veggies first. It doesn't matter too much if the veggies are going to be cooked, but obviously, don't cut raw chicken on a wooded or plastic board and then cut your salad on it.

Wood is best.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin’s Food Research Institute intentionally contaminated both wooden cutting boards and plastic ones with all types of bacteria that cause food poisoning. They then tested the boards regularly, without washing or touching them, to see what happened to the bacteria. Surprisingly, all of the bacteria on the wooden board dried off within three minutes. On the plastic board, the bacteria not only remained alive but actually multiplied overnight.

i personally like two-the plastic type and the wooden block. Plastic is always for meat and the wooden is for everything else. A good way to clean wooden is to take salt and pour it on the cutting surface and then use a half a lemon, and rub the salt into the board with the lemon. Very nice results.

My Husband and I are newly retired Meatcutters. The answer is both if cleaned properly and sanitized after use. At home I use both....I also keep a container of mild bleach and water ready at the back of my sink to do any cleaning necessary of the cutting boards and counters. I wash with soapy dishcloth, rinse the cloth well, rinse if possible the cutting board under hot water, an then dip into the bleach and water container with my dishcloth and wipe off: then.... Let air dry.....we have no problems...At work....we had the corian blocks on all the counters and work surfaces. At night these are High Pressure cleaned, rinsed, then sanitized and the sanitizer is left to dry overnight....Yes it is food grade approved. Also, additional care is taken for any cutting of poultry, pork and that is usually done either on designated days, or at the end of the day after beef is processed, due to any possibility of contamination....at least in So. Calif that is how it is done.....Hope that helps clear up any questions.....

the safest option is Clorox no matter which kind of cutting board you buy. Be careful to immediately wash it in hot water with plenty of detergent, rinse in Clorox water and dry. This goes for your knives also.

My son gave me one of those poly cutting boards. I have 6 wooden ones. My daughter has a glass cutting board!!

The only thing they have in common is they are cut on and cleaned immediately with clorox water.

plastic is best. wooden cutting boards are actually against the law for restaurant use in some states.

I use both: plastic for meats and wood for veggies. Bamboo cutting boards are the best!

Wood is actually safer bacteria wise. Food serverice uses plastic for cost and convience.

There seems to be a little debate about that. Here are some sites with info:

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/cutting_board.htm

http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/foodsafety/az1...

http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver...

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-should-i-choose-betwee...