Our top 3 best non-toxic cutting boards in 2024

Whether you love cooking like me or you can't get past a boiled egg, a cutting board is indispensable in every kitchen. For a long time I didn't pay much attention to this essential kitchen accessory. Now, with the knowledge I have about the impact of nasty chemicals on my body, I realize how important it is to have a safe, non-toxic cutting board. Due to the materials used and production method, cutting boards often contain harmful chemicals that can come into contact with our food.

Cutting boards without plastic

You've probably prepared a meal on a cutting board and noticed the plastic peeling off. Not so pleasant, right ?

Of all the cutting boards out there, I find plastic cutting boards the most toxic for a number of reasons:

• Many chemicals are added to plastic for proper texture, flame resistance, stain resistance, color and flexibility. These chemicals have not been adequately screened for safety and, in my opinion, are not good for your health. In addition, research has now shown that a number of well-known additives - plasticizers such as phthalates - are associated with serious health risks.
• You can ingest plastic particles through the plastic cutting board along with the food you cut on the board.
• Plastic cutting boards may contain triclosan, a chemical that has been shown to be harmful to health. Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent often added to plastic products, such as cutting boards, to kill bacteria and mold and prevent odors. It has now been shown that triclosan may be related to hormone disruptions.

Bamboo cutting boards

Although I prefer bamboo to plastic, you don't see a bamboo cutting board in my kitchen either. This is because bamboo planks are often glued and toxic formaldehyde could end up in your food. Mineral oil is also often used as a coating for bamboo cutting boards. Mineral oil comes from petroleum: fossil, crude oil extracted from the earth.

Tip: if you would like a bamboo cutting board in your kitchen, choose a board made of organic bamboo and without harmful glue and mineral oil.

Low-tox cutting boards made of wood

In my search for the best low-tox cutting board, I ultimately came to the conclusion that a wooden cutting board, made from one piece of wood, is the healthiest and safest choice. There are a few things I look for when choosing the right cutting board:

• Was glue used?
• Is it made from one piece of wood?
• Is the board finished with a natural coating? (so no mineral oil)

What is also nice about wood is that it has a naturally antimicrobial character, making the cutting board less susceptible to the growth of harmful bacteria.

Our top 3 natural and non-toxic cutting boards

Large wooden cutting board, made from one solid piece of walnut wood (seller: GiftyWoodcrafts , via Etsy). The cutting board is finished with natural linseed oil and beeswax. No glue has been used.

Olive wood cutting board made from one piece of wood (seller: SOLTAKO ). The olive wood cutting board from the SOLTAKO brand is made from one piece of wood, without glue and finished with olive oil.

 

• Cutting boards made of hardwood (maple, ash and oak), without glue and with a natural coating (seller: Treeboard ). Treeboard is an American company that makes really beautiful low-tox cutting boards. The planks are created from one piece of wood and instead of mineral oil they use organic linseed oil and organic carnauba wax oil to finish the wood.

Last but not least: if you don't want a wooden cutting board, a glass cutting board is a good, less toxic alternative.