Hygienische aspekte von Schneidebrettern aus holz bzw. kunststoff

Abstract

Cutting boards of wood are not allowed for use in contact with meats in commercial application but are widely used in households. In this study it should be further clarified if wooden cutting boards represent a hygienic risk in private households and if potential risks could be minimized by special cleaning or sanitizing procedures. In the study the penetration depth of bacterial cells (E. coli) resp. bacterial spores (B. subtilis) was determined in cutting boards of wood. Different kinds of woods were tested after having been cut in longitudinal or transversal direction. The microorganisms could proceed more deep in transversal cuttings (more than 4 mm deep) than in wood being cut in longitudinal way. Cutting boards of wood could be better cleaned if the boards were cut along the stem axis (longitudinal orientation) and if the surface was smooth and not rugged. Contaminations of the surface was performed by streaking a suspension of E. coli cells across the testing area. Cleaning of cutting boards of plastics (polyethylene) gave better results than longitudinal-cut boards of woods, but some kinds of wood could be cleaned nearly as well as their plastic counterparts. For elimination of hygienic risks in many cases a brush-cleaning in tenside solutions was sufficient. The sanitization could be intensified by applications of bleaching agents (sodium percarbonate plus bleaching activator TAED) or use of 5% acetic acid. Cutting boards having been streaked with lard and inoculated with E. coli cells showed similar results if warm tenside solutions and brush cleaning was applied irrespective if the material derived of wood (longitudinal section) or plastic. Dried juice of minced meat was also used for contaminating the surfaces of cutting boards by Enterobacteriaceae. In case of sanitizing with bleaching agents wooden cutting boards gave slightly better results compared with plastic boards. The studies show that cutting boards of wood do not mean a risk in private households if the kind of wood is suitable for this purpose and handled properly. Cutting boards of wood should not be stored in wet state.