Q: What wood to use for a cutting board?
> A: Maple, or something similar (any lightcolored hardwood, with
> a high density and a fine structure, e.g. beech, birch, etc).
> Not to be recommended are exotic hardwoods: their high degree
> of durability is because they contain significant concentrations
> of exotic substances lethal to lots of organisms. These substances
> are best avoided in food. The issue is especially relevant when
> cooking for guests or children.
As I understand it, the reason tropical woods (rubberwood in particular) are preferred for cutting boards is precisely
*because* they're lethal to lots of organisms - pathogenic bacteria specifically. If the board is completely nontoxic you end up with the same hazards as in a plastic board - the germs can get driven into the cracks and lie doggo for years before re-emerging to contaminate your food. There are very few toxins in wood that pose as large a hazard as something like listeria or E.coli 0167.============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557