Safe Cutting Board Basics

We have slowly been switching over many items in our home.  One of the first places I started making safer swaps was in our kitchen.  I started with swapping out plastic food containers, dishes, kids plates, etc.  One of my biggest struggles for finding a safer alternative was our cutting board.  To me, this is no brainer swap.  Our family's biggest monthly expense is food.  We spend a lot on purchasing organic and local produce and the last thing I want to do is contaminate any of the food with a plastic or treated wooden cutting board.  Many plastic cutting boards are treated with triclosan which was recently banned from hand soap.  Also, there is no conclusive evidence stating they are any less likely to harbor bacteria.  

Now for the hard part, choosing the safest wooden board; this can be a challenge.  Lucky for you, I have spent a lot of time researching and will be sharing my safest find in this post.  

One of the first "safer" cutting boards I purchased is Epicurean.  Here is why it important to do your research and always dig a little deeper.  I purchased this cutting board about 5 years ago, before I knew what I know now.  When I bought from this company, I was excited about the eco-friendly philosophy.  Epicurean prides themselves on crafting products that are not only simple, functional and long-lasting, but also environmentally responsible from start to finish. They choose materials which are both durable and eco-friendly, and use a production process that minimizes  waste. It sounded like a great alternative.  

Once I started doing some more research, I came to find that these cutting boards are made from  layers of paper that are then soaked with phenolic resin and cured to create a solid sheet.  I have come to find (thanks to Wikipedia) that phenolic resin is a combination of phenol, which was first extracted from coal tar, and formaldehyde. Ummmm, no thank you!! 

Another alternative I tried a few years ago, was bamboo.  Bamboo is a relatively inexpensive wood and is appealing to look at.  However, the problem with bamboo cutting boards is knowing the source and how the bamboo was grown.  Most bamboo is not grown organically, and it is important to understand the finish used on the wood.  In my research, one of the most popular finishes is mineral oil which is an oil we want to avoid. 

Drumroll please!!!! Meet Urthware, solid wooden cutting boards made by hand. I invested in 2 cutting boards, a large and a small.  It took about 4 weeks to arrive as they are all made to order by hand.  Believe me, it well worth the wait.  When I first started poking around on the website (www.urthware.com) I was struck by the mission:

"To make naturally safe cutting boards and kitchenware without the toxic, synthetic and/or petroleum based chemicals found in most cutting boards.  From our 100% Canadian locally sourced (100 mile) ethically harvested lumber, to our organic finishes, to our all natural gum tree rubber feet. We go out of our way to create products that are as natural as possible and healthy for your family to use.  Why buy expensive organic food just to place it on either a plastic cutting board, a glue filled bamboo board (usually an untested glue) or a wooden board containing toxic glues (untested) or scrap lumber or lumber obtained in unethical ways? When you now do have a choice. Urthware, naturally safe kitchenware."

Here is why I recommend Urthware:

1. These handmade cutting boards are made from organic solid wood. Urthware uses 100% Canadian Hard Maple sourced within 100 miles of our facility and all ethically harvested and/or FSC certified.

2.  Urhtware doesn't use any petroleum based products, chemical sprays, insecticides, fungicides, etc. Each board is made from one solid piece of wood eliminating the need for any glue. 

3. Each board contains rubber feet to prevent any slipping while cutting. The rubber comes from handmade natural gum tree.

To maintain the quality of your board you will want to oil it regularly.  I use an organic beeswax polish, but there are many other options including coconut oil, walnut oil, carnauba wax, etc.