Chemist reveals number of microbes living on kitchen cutting board
How many microbes live on a kitchen cutting board (photo: Freepik)
Many of us assume that if kitchen utensils are thoroughly cleaned, they are free from dirt. However, millions of microbes can hide from the human eye, making it practically impossible to eliminate them. One of the dirtiest items in the kitchen is the cutting board.
The types of microbes that can inhabit a kitchen cutting board, according to the chemist Hlib Repich.
How many microbes live on a kitchen cutting board
The chemist conducted an experiment using three types of cutting boards: wooden, plastic, and stone. Each board was used extensively during food preparation, but before the investigation, Repich thoroughly cleaned them and took bacterial samples from each. He then placed the samples in a thermostat for a day. From the wooden board, he additionally took samples to check for fungal colonies.
After a day, the chemist obtained the results. The plastic cutting board had the highest microbial growth, followed by the wooden board with fewer microbes. Interestingly, no colonies grew on the stone cutting board.
"These are fecal bacteria. It could be anything from E. coli to salmonella. They are always present in meat and get there from the chicken intestines when they are slaughtered. But it's not surprising because deep cracks form on plastic and wooden boards, accumulating dirt, mold, and bacteria, making them impossible to clean thoroughly," says Repich.
He also added that wood itself is a good substrate for growing fungi. However, on artificial stone boards, cracks do not form, making it easy to wash off food residues, and as a result, microbes do not proliferate there.
Social media users' reaction to the experiment
Under the chemist's post, many contributors left comments. Some are casting doubt on the results of this research.
What users are writing:
- the best boards are made of glass because artificial stone is one hundred percent some polymer that enters the body
- the review is not very fair because the stone board in the video is relatively new, which cannot be said about the other two boards. To be honest: boards of the same period of use should be used, not, these boards have been with me for 10 years, and I bought this one yesterday at the store
- not everyone can afford to buy a board for 2000 UAH
- just think about how much mold and crap we've eaten in our lives
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