Health experts explain why every kitchen should have two cutting boards and when to replace them

Many people use the same cutting board for everything, from chopping vegetables to slicing raw chicken. It may seem harmless, but food safety experts say that habit can increase the risk of contamination. At the same time, growing concerns about microplastics from plastic cutting boards have also brought fresh attention to what many people keep in their kitchens.

Health experts say the answer is not simply choosing one material over another. It is also about using cutting boards correctly, cleaning them properly and replacing them when they become too worn out.

Why experts recommend keeping two cutting boards

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS), consumers can use either wooden cutting boards or nonporous surfaces such as plastic, glass, marble or pyroceramic.


However, the agency advises keeping separate boards for different foods to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

The USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends using one cutting board for fresh produce and bread, and another exclusively for raw meat, poultry and seafood. This helps prevent bacteria from raw foods from spreading to foods that may not be cooked before eating.

Plastic boards under fresh scrutiny

Plastic cutting boards have become the subject of debate after gastroenterologist Dr. Saurabh Sethi, who has degrees from Harvard and Stanford, highlighted them in an Instagram video discussing household items he believes people should throw away.

According to Dr. Sethi, repeated use of plastic cutting boards may release microplastics that can end up in food. He suggested switching to wooden or glass cutting boards as a safer alternative.

His advice has divided opinion. Plastic boards are widely used because they are easy to clean and do not absorb much water. Wooden boards, on the other hand, require more maintenance and can crack or warp if not cared for properly. Glass boards are easy to sanitize but can dull kitchen knives much faster than other materials.

Research finds plastic boards can shed microplastics

Concerns over plastic boards are backed by research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology in 2023.

The study, titled Cutting Boards: An Overlooked Source of Microplastics in Human Food?, found that plastic cutting boards are a "potentially significant source of microplastics in human food."

Researchers estimated that a polyethylene cutting board could release between 7.4 and 50.7 grams of microplastics per person every year, depending on how it is used. The study also found polypropylene boards released even more microplastic particles during chopping.

Separately, Tracey Woodruff, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, told NPR that it is "highly likely" that a large share of human microplastic exposure comes from the food people eat.

How to clean and when to replace your cutting board

The USDA recommends washing cutting boards with hot, soapy water after every use, rinsing them with clean water and allowing them to air dry or drying them with clean paper towels.

Plastic, acrylic, glass and solid wood cutting boards can generally be cleaned in a dishwasher, although laminated wooden boards may split or crack.

For extra sanitation, both wooden and plastic boards can be treated with a solution made from 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach mixed with 1 gallon of water. After letting the solution sit for several minutes, the board should be rinsed thoroughly and dried.

The USDA also says all cutting boards eventually wear out. If a board develops deep grooves, heavy knife marks or areas that are difficult to clean, it should be replaced, regardless of whether it is made from wood or plastic.