Mineral Oil for food cutting board

[SteveI]

I have noticed the recommendation to use mineral oil on wooden cutting boards for food preparation.

It apparently doesn't go off like vegetable or animal based oils and is a better hygiene approach.

Anybody know of brand names or suppliers - in Sydney or mail-order?


ps: interesting article just recently (Sydney Morning Herald I think) suggested wooden boards were better than plastic because they did not release the bacteria as easily as the plastic... something about the cellulose structure versus the cuts in the plastic being ideal for bacteria. Yet I understand health authorities have banned wooden cutting boards in commercial preparation.

[DarrylF]

I don't wanna be a search nazi, but click 'Search' above (just below the 'Woodwork Forums' title) and search for 'Cutting Board' - you'll find more than you ever needed to know - it's been covered several times pretty comprehensively.

[Neil]

Mineral oil is another name for paraffin oil get it from your chemist or supermarket usually in the baby section with powder and oils etc.

Wood is much better than nylon plastic and all the new fangled cutting boards. It is a commonly known fact that bacteria will multiply at an astounding rate on the plastics, synthetic, etc and will diminish at an even faster rate on a wooden board as it is drawn into the wood where it dies. Health authorities, governments and other so called "do gooders" often get it wrong, as is the case here. There has never been a problem with the wood in chopping boards or other food implements, the problem has always been with the cleanliness of the users.

I am of the opinion that, even using a coating on a wooden board like polyurethane or danish oil will cause the bacteria to grow as it is stopping the woods ability to deal with it naturally.

It is my personal view that the oil should be used for the initial sale of the board to make it look good and should not be used again, for the same reasons as above. We have pine boards and wooden spoons etc, that have been in continuous daily use for well over 20 years and have never given a problem nor have they ever been re oiled other than what gets on them at the time of use. They are thoroughly washed in hot soapy water after every use and left to air dry.

Cheers - Neil

[SteveI]

Thanks for the info and views:

At the risk of annoying those who've been over it many times, this is useful on why mineral oil (paraffin) is good or bad to use on timber used for food prep

http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod02/01500122.html


I didn't realise til I bought the bottle what else it is used for - a nice thought for the people eating the food you prepare using the board!

From Amateur Woodworker (am-wood.com)

Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is a laxative :eek: that is readily available from any chemist. Although this will not provide the same level of sheen as the above oils, it is ideal for projects such as cutting boards when you need a non-toxic substance.

[gatiep]

Steve

Mineral Oil ( must be a yank term, because ordinary motor oil is also a mineral oil) or Liquid Paraffin or Medicinal Paraffin is a laxative but at adult doses of 15 to 30 ml. It merely works on lubricating the GI tract, does not cause contractions of the intestinal muscles. It does interfere with the absorption of minerals and other supplements from the GI tract.
You would probably use no more than 30 ml on a cutting board, which will soak into the wood. The dose that anybody would get from a properly prepared cutting board is miniscule and really only academic.
There are many stranger beasts in the things that we ingest daily
Cya
Joe

[Big Mac]

Question? If you need to use mineral oil on cutting boards , what do you use to finish bolws for food use

[Iain]

To add to Neils bit, butchers are not allowed to use wooden handled knives, but then plastic is much more comfortable to the hand assists with persiration and blisters.

[Neil]

Big Mac - You're probably better off sealing the surface of a food bowl rather than using oil. Mostly bowls are used for cooked or prepared food where the boards are used for preparing food and are more likely to be contaminated with germs from raw meat, blood etc, especially as the surface of the board is constantly being broken and cut by the use of knives, etc.

The bowl shouldn't have the same rough treatment dished out to it (pardon the pun) as it will usually be used in conjunction with a spoon. A smooth hard surface coating will also allow for easier, more healthier cleaning of the bowl.

This said, I would personally prefer to see wooden bowls used for decoration and if they must be functional and used for food I would definitely prefer to see them used for dry foods like nuts, chips, biscuits, etc rather than for things like soup and stews, etc. which could end up damaging the surface and cause it to break down.

Finally, wooden bowls should never be washed in a dish washer, especially if they are coated with polyurethane, as there is a possibility of the finish being turned toxic due to the harsh chemicals found in some dishwasher detergents. (This piece of information was told to a meeting of woodworkers some 14 years ago by the head chemist from one of Australia's leading paint manufacturer. Weather or not this is entirely the truth I really don't know, but on the off chance that it is I definitely wouldn't be putting wooden bowls into the dishwasher to find out. Even if I did own a dishwasher.)

I hop[e this has been of some help.

Cheers - Neil

PS Plastic handles instead of wood on knives....... what a load of hog wash! Like I said: Health authorities, governments and other so called "do gooders" often get it wrong.

Just my humble opinion.

[Big Mac]

Neil. Thanks for the reply ,i will act on your advice.

[Badger]

I seem to remember reading an article in a magazine or paper which said we should put our wooden cutting boards into the microwave every once in a while and heat till the wood is hot. Aparently, the microwaves sterilise the wood. The article said it didn't work so well with plastic cutting boards.

Don't try this with laminated boards, it doesn't do the glue joint much good