oiling board with wanlut oil, do i need to worry about patron allergies?

[EdipisReks]

i have my own beliefs, and you have yours.

i would appreciate it if you would at least act your age. we are all adults here.

if you think the dribble that i have been spouting is nonsense or whatever, you could have at least done it in a better way.

i won't feed the fire anymore. i shut up now.

if you want to be taken seriously, don't "cite" the Daily Mail online.

 

[Johnny.B.Good]

if you check vaccine components which are listed on the CDC's website for each vaccine, they have MERCURY and many many other poisonous components included. they even have monkey brains as part of some vaccines, that just sets off alarms in my head. i'm no scientist or immunologist but i don't think it'd be good for you.

Which vaccines do you believe do more harm than good?

 

[Dusty]

Do you know if this grapeseed oil is better allergy-wise? Or is this even a non-issue even with walnut oil?

I'm not saying the allergy is not legit, but I've never come across one, so I've had no issues yet.

 

[Chef Doom]

Mineral oil is also used as a laxative. I don't put laxative products on my wood boards. Sure they label it as "food grade", but if it was really food grade people would cook with it? How many people hear drizzle a little mineral oil on their salad?

Coconut oil or palm oil are my go to oils when handy. I have a coconut oil beeswax blend that I'm working with right now. I look for anything that turns solid at room temperature. I've heard that the Italians oil their wood products with olive oil all the time but that could be one of those stereotypes. I believe it because it's one of those stereotypes that isn't really funny. Therefore it's not funny because it's true. Animal fats are good but I'm starting to get into rendering my own which makes it expensive.

Do you think if I used bacon grease instead it would at bacon flavor to anything I cut on the cutting board? Oh the possibilities. :cheffry:

 

[Chef Doom]

Wow, just read through the rest of this thread.

All I can say is that the Amish community does not have a major problem with food allergies in contrast to the rest of the country.

 

[ThEoRy]

It's only a laxative if consumed in copious amounts.

 

[Chef Doom]

And rattlesnake poison is only deadly if the snake bites you too long.

 

[Miles]

The short answer is "yes". If you're a professional, you always have to be concerned about customers' allergies and be responsive to their dietary restrictions. If you were allergic to nuts would you want to eat food which had been prepped on a board coated in walnut oil? Would you want to run that risk, however slight, knowing full well that it might kill you?

The prudent and wise choice would be to oil your boards with another oil which will not create this hazard and avoid the possibility all together.

 

[DWSmith]

Funny discussion. Went from what oil do I use to food allergies to "Look what they put in ______", back to allergies then finally back to the original topic.

So here is my opinion, backed by the USDA and my own personal experience.

Mineral oil, like it or hate it, is a super refined petroleum product. Used as a laxative in large amounts, it is totally inert and non-toxic. Okay, so you hate it, it is used in tons of cosmetics the ladies use, bakers use it as a mold release in large commercial bakeries, hand creams use it as a base, baby oil uses it as a base and it is in countless other places you may not expect. Don't like it, check the labels to see if it is an ingredient then quite using that product.

Peanut, olive, coconut, grapeseed and all other natural organic oils - all contain FAT which is what goes rancid. Go ahead and use peanut oil on your commercial board and when a diner has a reaction to the slightest tint of peanut oil, you can test out your liability insurance. (BTW just to be safe I have 2 million in liability insurance just to be safe.) And, notice the experts who push a particular type of oil as being the "Best" all have some connection with the maker or are the maker. Self-serving advertising!

Linseed oil is used as a base for PAINT. It will not dry unless it has chemical driers mixed in. Those driers are TOXIC! Same with tung oil. In the raw state it will almost never dry, until those chemical driers are added.

Don't like any of the above? Use nothing! Keep your board free from oils and use salt as a cleaner. Coat overnight then brush off in the morning. VIOLA! Clean, sanitized and dry. Sadly, I'll bet someone will find something against salt.

What it all boils down to is that we try to make something more complicated than it needs to be. Discuss it at length, tear all the details apart, micro-manage the smallest of details, it all boils down to how complicated can we make a simple subject.

My 2 cents worth.

 

[Dusty]

Well I guess that's settled. Thanks Dave. Great post.

 

[Chef Doom]

Well, I do check labels but I refuse to debate with you Dave. Your board is serving me too well and I plan on getting a couple more. I give you the win.

But...............I would like someone to point me to an article or study that showed that a person can get an allergic reaction based on a cutting board that was oiled with a certain food oil. A personal experience. You can even lie and make up a falsified story. Post a fake article. Anything will suffice.

 

[ThEoRy]

Well, I do check labels but I refuse to debate with you Dave. Your board is serving me too well and I plan on getting a couple more. I give you the win.

But...............I would like someone to point me to an article or study that showed that a person can get an allergic reaction based on a cutting board that was oiled with a certain food oil. A personal experience. You can even lie and make up a falsified story. Post a fake article. Anything will suffice.

As soon as you post an article stating how someone got diarrhea from eating food that was cut on a mineral oil treated board I'll drum up your story.

 

[Jmadams13]

^ made my right, lol

 

[Chef Doom]

As soon as you post an article stating how someone got diarrhea from eating food that was cut on a mineral oil treated board I'll drum up your story.

Sometimes people can confuse it with food poisoning. Ive seen it first hand.

 

[DWSmith]

My post was simply my two cents worth based on what I have read from the USDA, internet and newspaper sources about people having reactions from nuts. That information abounds. But, don't think or even remotely insinuate that I would lie or make up a story just to prove my point. I won't! And if you think that I would demeans the discussion to a low point. "Nuff said!

 

[Squilliam]

Chef Doom, from my understanding, mineral oil acts physically as a laxative by coating your bowels in oil. It doesn't act chemically at all. It's just there for its slippery properties. There is no way anyone is going to get a lubricating dose of mineral oil from a cutting board, even if they tried to suck it out with a straw.

 

[ThEoRy]

Sometimes people can confuse it with food poisoning. Ive seen it first hand.

Unless it was actually food poisoning.. Just sayin.

 

[Chef Doom]

Alas, some things will forever be an eternal mystery.

Andy, my advice would be to stop using it if you are afraid of getting sued. That would be the appropriate American response. If not, oil away.

 

[EdipisReks]

And rattlesnake poison is only deadly if the snake bites you too long.

i had to take go out of my way to view your post to read this, so it shouldn't be a surprise, but that, right there, is one of the dumbest things i've ever read, in my entire life.

 

[cwrightthruya]

Although I am a late comer to this thread, If you will read the summaries of the linked articles it should point anyone who is concerned in the correct direction. This is from the International Journal of dermatology.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23414152

Here is a threshold distribution pattern for several food related allergies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23199599

However, in this article, the number tested specifically for Walnut Protein allergy was too low for sufficient statistical significance to determine a probable threshold dose. However, I have contacted the authors in hopes of shedding a little more light specifically on this topic.
In my humble opinion...with the threshold range for nuts being between .26mg to 7.4mg....I would say use mineral oil.


As far as specific allergies and it's increased prevalence in recent years. The body of research suggests a combination of environmental factors and increased self reporting are the major culprits. The simplest explanation is that most people, especially in the US have developed a hyper-fixation on medicine/being healthy. This is then amplified by the mass media marketing by the "holistic" groups who push nothing but "organic" foods and products.
Please do not misunderstand the above statement. Allergies are a real problem, but it is still being determined whether the increased prevalence of such allergies is due to statistical increase in sensitization or if it is simply due to more people actually choosing to be seen for treatment.


Hope this Helps,

Regards,
Chris

 

[cwrightthruya]

Also, of everything I have read in this thread. David (TheBoardsmith) is the closest to what I feel meets the current USDA recommendations for the food service industry in the US.

 

[Johnny.B.Good]

In my humble opinion...with the threshold range for nuts being between .26mg and 7.4mg....I would say use mineral oil.

Given that mineral oil just makes sense, and that there are stories like this in the news, I would have to agree.

 

[cwrightthruya]

A personal opinion only, not a professional one. But, I have the read the the two linked articles in their entirety (It is illegal to link the entire articles, so only the summary is allowed on the open internet), and do believe mineral oil is most likely the safest choice given the low threshold dose range observed for several nut species.


Regards,
Chris

 

[Jmadams13]

i had to take go out of my way to view your post to read this, so it shouldn't be a surprise, but that, right there, is one of the dumbest things i've ever read, in my entire life.

And that is the funniest things I have ever read in my entire life

 

[Chef Doom]

i had to take go out of my way to view your post to read this, so it shouldn't be a surprise, but that, right there, is one of the dumbest things i've ever read, in my entire life.

About as dumb as someone thinking that somebody will get sick because they oiled their board with a certain type of food based oil perhaps? Even though there are no factual reports or instances of such an instance happening?

I'm glad you got my point. Cheers!