Cutting boards may seem like such an innocent piece of kitchen equipment yet if not used and maintained properly, can be a vehicle for spreading a food borne illness. In the average restaurant, multiple employees use cutting boards multiple times a day creating a big risk. Follow the guidelines below in an effort to keep your cutting boards safe.
Cutting Board Basics:
-Wood cutting boards aren’t allowed in commercial kitchens so plastic or acrylic boards it is.
-Avoid cross-contamination by using different cutting boards for different types of food. Color coded boards work great as they will guide employees as to which type of food should be cut on which board. For instance, use the green board for produce only or the red board for cutting raw meat, etc.
-Cutting boards need to be washed between each use with hot soap and water or simply run it through a full dishwasher cycle, as this will not only clean the board but will also sanitize it.
-If you are not using a dishwasher, you can sanitize your board by using a mixture of 1 TBS of Bleach to 1 gallon of water. Let boards soak in the mixture for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly or using a spray bottle, spray the mixture on the board and allow to sit and then rinse thoroughly.
-Allow boards to air dry before putting them away.
-If you have cracks or grooves in your cutting board, throw it away. These hard to clean cracks are a perfect hiding spot for bacteria.