Cutting boards are one of the most common pieces of equipment in food preparation. Every home has one or two, and commercial kitchens may have ten or twenty; industrial food processors sometimes have hundreds.

What makes a good cutting board? A good cutting board is, first and foremost, a good surface for cutting, chopping and dicing food. It is solid and firm enough to resist a knife’s pressure without being so hard as to dull the knife’s blade. Many materials make great surfaces for cutting, but not all materials are suitable for commercial food preparation. Wooden cutting boards have porous surfaces that can remain damp, are difficult to sanitise, and may harbour bacteria. For this reason, most food safety authorities, including auditors and government inspectors, disallow the use of wooden cutting boards in commercial food handling premises. Glass cutting boards are also unsuitable for commercial kitchens, despite being popular in homes for their aesthetic appeal and heat-resistant properties.

A better alternative for commercial kitchens is polymer (plastic) cutting boards. Polymer cutting boards are impervious, non-absorbent and non-contaminating. In addition, they can easily be cleaned and sanitised.

Polypropylene and polyethylene are the most commonly used to make cutting boards, but it is also possible to purchase rubber, nylon and silicon cutting products.

When choosing a cutting board, shape and size are essential. A cutting board that fits the dishwasher is much easier to clean and sanitise. The shape is important because cutting boards with unusual shapes, such as ‘built-in’ hooks, ridges or patterns, can be more challenging to clean than simpler shapes. Cutting boards made from a single contiguous piece of material are best since laminated boards, veneered, inlaid or have handles or hooks attached can be too difficult to clean.

Polymer cutting boards can be made in a vast range of colours. However, some pigments used to colour plastics are toxic and could contaminate food that comes into contact with coloured boards. However, not all coloured boards are equal in this respect.

Coloured boards provide an excellent tool for controlling cross-contamination in a commercial environment. Colour-coding of cutting boards and other utensils designates specific colours to particular food types, which can prevent bacteria from raw foods from contaminating cooked foods. It also minimises incidences of food tainting, in which strong flavours, such as fish, are transferred to more delicately flavoured foods.

There is no formalised standard for colour coding of food preparation equipment. HACCP Australia recommends the following colour codes, which are widely accepted in Australian kitchens:

Another tool to improve hygiene is the incorporation of antimicrobial additives into polymer cutting boards. Several antimicrobials have been used for this purpose, the most popular silver-based technologies including silver-zeolite, nano-silver, and triclosan. Many effects are claimed for cutting boards containing antimicrobials; however, scientific evidence can be scarce for some of these claims. But, again, not all antimicrobials are equal. They are doubtful to have any germicidal or growth-inhibiting effects on surfaces soiled with food particles. Proper cleaning of the cutting board is still the number one defence against micro-organisms.

Cleaning and maintaining a cutting board is simple:
1. Remove large pieces of food from the surface by scraping or wiping.
2. Scrub all surfaces with a firm-bristled brush under warm running water with detergent. Inspect the surface to ensure there are no signs of food materials, fats or oils.
3. Sanitise the cutting board by putting it through the most extended cycle of a commercial dishwasher or immersing it in a mild bleach solution for 30 minutes.

Inspect the cutting board regularly for chips, cracks and rough edges. Discard the cutting board if it is chipped, cracked or when it becomes heavily scored and stained.

HACCP Australia has developed a standard to assist designers, manufacturers, purchasers and users of cutting boards in food preparation in commercial premises.

The purpose of the standard is to define and describe best practices with respect to the food safety aspects of cutting boards specifically for commercial use. Design, materials of construction, suitable colourants, heat resistance, impact resistance, microbial inhibitors, marketing and labelling requirements are specified.

Clive Withinshaw of HACCP Australia says, “We have evaluated a number of cutting boards against our standard. Only a range of Tomkin Australia’s Chef Inox Colour Coded Cutting boards has been certified as conforming to the HACCP Australia Standard. They represent the best in terms of hygienic design and materials.”

The Chef Inox Colour Coded boards are manufactured using hygienic, tough polypropylene. Polypropylene provides an autoclavable product with high chemical, stain and aroma resistance. These cutting boards will not dull knives, chip, splinter or warp. They are colour coded, dishwasher safe, non-absorbent and have a temperature range of 20°c to 105°c. They represent the high standard that busy commercial food handlers demand – especially those which need to meet the exacting standards of modern food safety standards – particularly important for such products that have frequent food contact.

For more information, please contact Tomkin 02 8665 4675 or visit https://tomkin.com.au/collections/cutting-boards