wood cutting boards in a commercial kitchen

[DaveInMesa]

My half-cynical comment was about peer review meaning something about the effectiveness of using that study in getting your way

Yeah. It seems to be the gilding on the turd, now.... "OOH! Shiny thing!"

 

[paulraphael]

You can think anything you like, but do you have any basis for that opinion, or is it simply that you don't like it and that's that?

I assume you have no background in science or analysis, since you (like many others) seem to have completely overlooked or failed to understand the facts stated. But, let's hear your theory to explain why, after smearing equal amounts of bacteria on new wooden and plastic boards, the bacteria on the wooden boards died and the ones on the plastic boards did not, bearing in mind that the researchers did nothing to account for that difference.

My opinion is based on looking at a lot of studies, including the ones you've cited. And it's about seeing the way that people who don't have a good science background can hear an idea and run with it to unreasonable conclusions. I know you know how to clean and sanitize a cutting board, so I don't think the distinction matters that much to you specifically. I make the distinction for people who read these forums and are more prone to getting the wrong idea.

Regarding the science, there is no support (that I've seen) for wood acting as a bacteriacide. The studies that examined the issue conclude that wood (if it's a closed-grain variety) sequesters bacteria away from the food until they eventually die on their own. The wood does not kill bacteria that's sitting on the surface. No cutting board does that. I don't want people to get the idea that wood has magical bacteria-killing properties.

As far as the general safety of wood boards, you and I seem to be in complete agreement. I'm just talking about how to responsibly communicate it to other people in a public forum.